USIA - Albright Concludes First Ministerial Meeting with EU, 97-01-28
From: The United States Information Agency (USIA) Gopher at <gopher://gopher.usia.gov>
ALBRIGHT CONCLUDES FIRST MINISTERIAL MEETING WITH EU
(Trilateral explores greater cooperation on foreign policy) (740)
By Jane A. Morse USIA Diplomatic Correspondent
Washington -- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright concluded her first
European Union (EU) ministerial meeting January 28. The trilateral talks
included Hans van Mierlo, president of the European Commission, as well as
deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of the Netherlands,
and Sir Leon Brittan, vice president of the European Commission,
During a press briefing following her meeting with Mierlo and Brittan,
Albright emphasized that "the relationship between the United States and
the European Union is vital not only to the European Union not only to the
parties involved but to the overall health and potency of the international
system. When we act together with shared purpose and common principal we
help to raise standards and encourage progress around the globe."
The U.S.-EU relationship, she said, "is a vital component of a broader new
Atlantic Community that includes NATO, the OSCE and other trans-Atlantic
organizations. A prosperous, democratic and united Europe is a vital United
States interest contributing to our security and the strength of our
economy."
She noted that commemoration events will be held this spring for the 50th
anniversary of the Marshall Plan, which helped Europe rebuild and grow
after the devastation of World War II. The anniversary celebrations come at
a time, she said, when "far-reaching decisions will be made about
overcoming lingering Cold War divisions."
The talks of January 28 focused, Albright said, "on how we can further
deepen our already successful cooperation on a wide range of foreign policy
concerns." These included: how the United States and EU can build a truly
global partnership to build peace, stability, democracy and development
around the world; how to combat international crime, drug trafficking,
communicable disease, and environmental degradation; and, the building of a
trans-Atlantic marketplace.
In his remarks, Mierlo noted that it is important, now that a year has
passed since the signing of the Trans-Atlantic Agenda, "to show that the
intensified cooperation is yielding results. We especially want to focus on
areas where a coordinated approach for the U.S. and European Union can be
essential. I am thinking of areas such as organized international crime,
but also political issues of Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and
former Yugoslavia."
Mierlo cautioned that "what we should avoid in the transatlantic dialogue
is that we limit it to only business and economics. We should try, really,
to combine our efforts on points which we experience as common values of
the Western society. And I only refer to human rights to let you know how
much can be done if we combine our common forces."
Brittan said a great deal of progress has been made on the economic side.
"We are now close to achieving real first fruits in terms of the information
technology agreement; the mutual recognition agreements work in the wider
international area in favor of a telecommunications agreement," he
said.
In addition, Bittan said, agreement was reached in the trilateral talks to
further discuss political issues such as the question of bringing China
into the world economic community while at the same time "stressing the
importance of world partners accepting world obligations and sharing our
common concerns about human rights where ever they may be in question."
Brittan said it was also agreed to discuss and find resolutions to "the
difficulties, too, that divide us still: The question of the Helms-Burton,
D'Amato legislation.... We are working on that; we have not got there. Our
concerns remain; I hope our concerns can be met. We are ready to take
action in a new and vigorous way working with you (the United States) to
resolve that and all other issues because of the importance of working
together in the wider world to advance the values as well as the economic
interests that we have in common."
After the briefing, State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns told
reporters that other areas that were discussed during the trilateral
included: the need to synchronize actions on Bosnia and extend economic
assistance; the importance of continuing pressure on Serbian President
Slobodan Milosevic to recognize opposition victories in the November 17
municipal elections; the need to protect Albanians in Kosovo; how better to
support the War Crimes Tribunal; the importance of keeping Turkey "Westward
oriented"; the problems of Cyprus; and, NATO expansion.
From the United States Information Agency (USIA) Gopher at gopher://gopher.usia.gov
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