PRESS RELEASE


EU-US Technical Dialogue and Increased Cooperation in Crisis Management and Conflict Prevention


The European Union and the United States of America today met in Brussels to exchange notes verbales confirming their intention to implement the initiatives outlined in the EU-US Technical Dialogue and Increased Cooperation in Crisis Management and Conflict Prevention ('work plan'). The work plan had previously been approved by the Council of the European Union and by the US government in December 2007.

The exchanges of notes verbales took place between Metka Ipavic, Political and Security Committee Ambassador and Representative of the Slovene Presidency, and Ambassador John Herbst, Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization in the U.S. Department of State. The exchange was witnessed by Henrietta Fore (USAID Administrator and Director of Foreign Assistance), Clemens Von Goetze (German PSC Ambassador), Carlos Durrant Pais (Portuguese PSC Ambassador.

On behalf of the Slovene Presidency, Ambassador Ipavic thanked the United States, as well as the German and Portuguese Presidencies for the hard work that they put into developing the work plan.
Ambassador Ipavic stressed that deepening EU US cooperation on crisis management activities was an important response to the evolving security challenges faced by both sides.

For the United States, Ambassador Herbst welcomed the exchange of notes on the work plan as a signal of the US and EU's shared commitment to cooperate in the areas of crisis management and conflict prevention. He looks forward to taking tangible steps in the months ahead to begin making progress on the work plan's activities.

We recognise that modern crisis management requires a comprehensive approach. With a particular view to enhancing EU-US cooperation in civilian aspects of crisis management and conflict prevention, the work plan will advance a number of areas for further U.S.-EU cooperation, which will be of mutual benefit, including: cross training, the sharing of analysis, and working to expand and complement the capacity efforts of crisis management elements of other international organizations - all of which is important for the successful conduct of ongoing and future crisis management operations.