The United States Mission
to the European Union

http://useu.usmission.gov

Brussels, Belgium

July 4, 2009

Defense & Non-Proliferation

Europe will be a key partner for the U.S. as it addresses challenges in Afghanistan, relations with Russia and building a "new NATO for a new century," says the new U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Ivo Daalder. "Currently, NATO is building and enhancing partnerships with other actors in the realm of security, particularly the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea, and we are collaborating as well with the African Union and the United Nations," Ambassador Daalder continued. "But these are only the first steps. We will need to take many more if we truly want to take on the challenges of this new century." He noted that France’s return to NATO’s military structures offers an opportunity to strengthen the NATO-EU cooperation on matters of security and defense. "NATO and the EU for too long were sitting opposite each other in the same rowboat, drifting in circles. Now, they are repositioned to row downstream in the same direction." One region in which the two are already working together is off the coast of Somalia, where NATO and the EU are actively engaged in counter-piracy activities, he said. He also urged the EU and its members to increase their assistance to Afghanistan and Pakistan. "Stabilizing this entire region and ridding it of the scourge of extremism is, of course, a long-term goal but it is an achievable one."

America and its NATO allies share “a vital security interest” in forging a common, comprehensive approach to stabilizing Afghanistan, says Vice President Biden. “The deteriorating situation in the region poses a security threat, from our perspective, not just to the United States, but to every single nation around this table,” Biden told members of the North Atlantic Council, the 26-nation alliance’s principal body, March 10. “It was from that remote area of the world that Al-Qaida plotted 9/11. It was from that very same area that extremists planned virtually every major terrorist attack in Europe since 9/11, including the attacks on London and Madrid.” (Remarks at NATO Press Conference)

2009: U.S. Ambassador Daalder’s Speech on NATO’s Agenda in 21st Century (Jun 9, 2009) | U.S.-Russia Nuclear Arms Reduction Talks Begin (Apr 24, 2009) | NATO Renews Commitment to Afghanistan’s Future (Apr 6, 2009) (NATO’s Strasbourg / Kehl Summit Declaration; NATO Summit’s Declaration on Alliance Security) | President Obama’s Participation in NATO 60th Anniversary Summit (Apr 4, 2009) | Obama Welcomes France’s Full Return to NATO (Mar 23, 2009) (Statement) | Secretary Clinton’s Remarks After NATO meeting in Belgium (Mar 13, 2009) | NATO Allies Share Vital Interest in Stabilizing Afghanistan (Mar 10, 2009) (Biden Remarks) | United States Wants to Consult with Russia on Missile Defense (Feb 13, 2009) | Biden Lays Out U.S. Foreign Policy Goals, Approaches (Feb 7, 2009) (Remarks) | Nations Pledge Unity in Containing Iran’s Nuclear Challenge (Feb 4, 2009) | President Obama’s Inaugural Address (Jan 20, 2009)

GEORGE W. BUSH ADMINISTRATION

Russian and U.S. negotiators held productive talks on a host of strategic security issues including a replacement for the 1991 START I treaty and a proposed European-based U.S. missile defense system, a senior American official says. No new accords were expected from the preliminary talks. A U.S. negotiating team led by Acting Under Secretary of State John Rood met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and his staff in Moscow December 15, 2008.

2008: Russia, U.S. Negotiators Meet on START Treaty, Missile Defense (Dec 18, 2008) | United States Disappointed by Russian Missile Plans (Nov 5, 2008) | Energy Department on Removal of Spent Nuclear Fuel from Hungary (Oct 23, 2008) | Bush Remarks After Meeting Slovak President Gasparovic (Oct 9, 2008) | United States Committed to NATO Membership for Ukraine, Georgia (Oct 8, 2008) | Speech by Defense Secretary Gates on Global Security (Sep 22, 2008) | Rice Signs Missile Defense Agreement in Prague (Jul 8, 2008) | Nations Extol Virtues of Fighting Together Against Nuclear Terror (Jun 24, 2008) | Accelerated Cooperation Needed to Fight Nuclear Terrorism (Jun 13, 2008) | State's Fried: The Bucharest Summit and the Way Forward for NATO (Apr 23, 2008) | Volker’s Speech at Heritage Foundation on NATO’s Future (Apr 10, 2008) | Bush, Putin Chart Course Ahead for U.S.-Russian Relations (Apr 7, 2008) | NATO Summit Concludes with Commitments for Future Work (Apr 7, 2008) | Czech Republic, U.S. Agree to Missile Defense Radar Installation (Apr 3, 2008) | Remarks by State’s Volker, Romanian Ambassador on NATO 2008 (Mar 24, 2008) | Defense Secretary Gates Speaks at Munich Conference on Security (Feb 10, 2008)

2007: White House Outlines Need for Missile Defense System in Europe (Oct 23, 2007) | U.S. Ambassador to NATO Nuland Urges EU, NATO to Work Together (Oct 16, 2007) | U.S. Mission's Murray Discusses the U.S.-European Security Relationship (Sep 20, 2007) | Azeri Radar Would Not Replace Czech Anti-Missile Site, U.S. Says (Jun 15, 2007) | White House Welcomes Russian Missile Defense Offer (Jun 7, 2007) | Bush Urges Russia To Reconsider Missile Defense (Jun 1, 2007) | Under Secretary Burns Elaborates on Challenges and Opportunities Facing the Transatlantic Community (Mar 26, 2007) | EU Chief Solana Cites Warm EU-U.S. Relations (Mar 22, 2007) | European Missile Defense Would Protect Against Mideast Threats (Mar 2, 2007) | U.S. Supports Southeast Asian, Balkan Mine Removal Projects (Jan 11, 2007)

2006: State's Fried Discusses Russia, Georgia, and U.S.-EU Cooperation (Oct 20, 2006) | U.S.-EU Summit Declaration (Jun 21, 2006) and 2006 U.S.-EU Summit Progress Report on Political and Security Issues | State's Volker: U.S. Envisions Global Partnerships for NATO (Feb 6, 2006) | Review of European Security Issues (Jan 17, 2006) | Bush, Belgian Prime Minister Discuss Trans-Atlantic Ties, Congo (Jan 17, 2006)

2005: U.S. Opposes Lifting of EU Embargo on Arms Sales to China (Nov 8, 2005) | NATO Plans Summit in Late 2006 on Upgrading Forces (Nov 3, 2005) | State's Burns Discusses EU Enlargement, Middle East, China, NATO (Jun 29, 2005) | United States, EU Cooperate Against WMD Proliferation, Terrorism (Jun 20, 2005) | State Department Report, June 9: Burns Outlines U.S.-Europe Agenda (Jun 9, 2005) | U.S., EU Cooperate on Nonproliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (Feb 22, 2005)

2004: Grossman Says U.S., Europe Can Work to Create Better World (Jun 29, 2004) | Halting Spread of WMD Key Goal for United States, European Union (Jun 26, 2004)

2003: Brussels Conference on Transatlantic Defense Cooperation (Jul 18, 2003) | Joint Statement on Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (Jun 25, 2003)

Copyright © 2006 U.S. Mission to the European Union. All rights reserved.