Facing Shared Responsibilities: A Renewed Transatlantic Relationship
Alan P. Larson, Under Secretary for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs Remarks at the European Policy Center
Brussels, Belgium March 27, 2003
Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to present an American perspective on Europe, the trans-Atlantic
partnership and our shared responsibility for building a safer and freer world. These are difficult subjects, so I look
forward to your comments and suggestions.
We meet at a sober moment. Recrimination is in the air. It would be a mistake to sugar coat either the differences that
have emerged or the challenges we face.
It is time to focus not only on feelings, but also on responsibilities. As we survey the global scene, we see new
threats and troubling fissures in European unity, trans-Atlantic cooperation and major international institutions.
The zone of peace and security that previously surrounded Europe and North America is now more fragile than many would
like to believe. If we allow Europe and the United States to be turned against each other, it would only open the door
to the forces of disorder, darkness and danger.
The Changing Partnership
The world has changed. The Cold War is over, and with it the visible external threat that drew Europe and America
together, and that provided the original mission of NATO. We now face new, less visible threats from global terrorist
organizations and the proliferation of weapons of mass murder in the hands of despots.
Europe has changed in many wonderful ways. The European Community, now Union, contributed to nearly fifty years of
peace for countries whose past conflicts provoked two world wars. The European Union has grown deeper through the Single
Market, the adoption of a single currency throughout much of the EU and the opening of internal borders to the free
movement of people.
Europeans are more prosperous than ever before. We welcome this prosperity, and have shared in it. And we recognize
that it can be frustrating in Brussels to see how few Americans notice how much Europe has accomplished.
The European Union is also growing wider. Ten new members are expected to join the EU soon. The expansion of the EU is
doing much to bolster democracy and the market economy. For prospective new members of the Union, EU accession brings
institutions that will anchor their newly restored democratic and free market practices. To the existing members of the
Union, these newly acceding states are bringing the fresh passion for democracy and free markets that comes from having
recently experienced tyranny firsthand.
We welcome the progress in building Europe. That is not to say, of course, that Europe s evolution is always easy for
us, especially in the area of foreign policy. Let s be honest; for the United States, the EU is a high maintenance
relationship. And we recognize, at least in our candid moments, that the United States is not always the easiest of
partners for the EU.
On many issues we have worked together effectively. For the last eighteen months, the EU and the United States have
been driving forces behind the global coalition supporting national reconstruction in Afghanistan. Similar cooperation
has been crucial to bringing peace and stability to the Balkans. Despite differences in institutions, we have forged a
strong counter-terrorism partnership, especially on measures to protect our transportation systems from terrorism and to
starve terrorists of the financing they need to mount new attacks. The President s March 14 reaffirmation of U.S.
commitment to the Middle East Roadmap is another example of our close cooperation, one on which we aim to build in the
months ahead.
At other times, it has seemed that some European foreign policy initiatives have had as their primary aim
differentiating Europe from the United States. We understand Iraq has been a hard case for the EU in light of strongly
held views both in support of, and opposed to, military action against Saddam. But in some ways, most troubling was to
see some member state leaders and Commission officials dressing-down other EU countries and accession candidates simply
for agreeing with the United States on Iraq, as if that was somehow un-European.
Many Europeans are not aware that since 9/11, Americans have become more committed to international cooperation to
address global problems. Polling data confirms this. The Administration has worked through international organizations
to strengthen transportation security and to combat the financing of terrorism. President Bush has dramatically
increased development assistance, launching a $15 billion, five-year campaign to fight international HIV/AIDS and a $5
billion per year Millennium Challenge Account. And over the last six months, we made extraordinarily intensive
diplomatic efforts in the United Nations to secure the compliance of Iraq with its obligations to the United Nations
Security Council and the international community.
In the end, we have gone to war, reluctantly and humbly. We are proud of the brave American and British servicemen and
women in action now. We pray for their safety, and for the moms and dads, husbands and wives and sons and daughters who
await their safe return. We will persevere until the mission is accomplished. But we do not put our faith in military
might alone.
We believe in the power of democratic values, economic opportunity and international cooperation. Whenever possible, we
use these means to accomplish our objectives. American compassion, already evident in the extraordinary care we are
showing to avoid Iraqi civilian casualties, will be even more evident when the fighting is over and we turn to the task
of helping Iraqis reclaim their country.
Since 9/11, Americans have understood in a new way the threat of global terrorism. We lost more American lives on 9/11
than we did at Pearl Harbor. My government is acutely aware that terrorists are seeking to acquire weapons of mass
destruction. And we all must recognize, sadly but honestly, that international efforts to keep such weapons out of the
hands of reckless leaders have been far too ineffectual.
At the end of the day, none of us should support approaches designed to paper over or endlessly discuss threats rather
than to face up to them. In Europe in the last decade, force was necessary to protect Kosovars from Milosevic. And
notwithstanding the strong support for the UN Security Council, in both America and Europe, our joint action on Kosovo
took place without a specific authorizing UN Security Council Resolution.
In facing threats and dealing with tyrants, credibility is essential. Conrad Adenauer understood this. In 1962, when my
government consulted him on the Cuban missile crisis, Adenauer s advice was succinct and to the point: Above all, you
must not be a paper tiger. This bit of European advice remains deeply relevant today.
When it comes to Iraq, ruling out military force would have emboldened Saddam Hussein, and others like him. It would
have made the world more dangerous, not safer. The challenge was and is to disarm Saddam Hussein of his weapons of mass
murder, not to contain the United States.
We recognize and respect the fact that many thoughtful people in Europe see this issue differently. But we cannot
afford to let any such differences distract or slow us from tackling together the immense responsibilities we are called
to shoulder.
The New Partnership Agenda
My friends, there is work to do. Today s trans-Atlantic partnership was an enlightened response to the dark landscape
that followed World War II. Similarly, the post-9/11 world presents us with a new set of dangers and difficulties.
Rather than curse the darkness, the U.S. and EU should strive through our cooperation to light lamps of hope. Let me
suggest eight areas for such cooperation.
First, the U.S. and EU have cooperated successfully in the Balkans, and we must continue to do so in order to ensure
that our message is one and the same and our actions are complementary. The U.S. and the EU share the same goals for the
Balkans, including eventual EU membership for many of its nations. We welcome the decision of Greece and Italy to
develop a joint priority for the Balkans during their successive Presidencies. It is particularly important that the
international community helps this troubled region to deal with transnational rule of law issues -- the effects of
neglecting this problem were demonstrated tragically in the assassination of Serbian PM [Prime Minister] Djindjic this
month. While providing assistance to Serbia in its current emergency, we must continue to insist on the need for
cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. We support the EU s historic assumption of the peacekeeping mission in Macedonia,
the first outing for ESDP [European Security and Defense Policy], and the EU s assumption of the police assistance
function in Bosnia.
Second, we have unfinished business in Afghanistan. On this issue, the teamwork among the U.S., EU and UN has been
exemplary. The Bonn Agreements provided a political framework for moving forward. The fundraising and donor coordination
process begun in Washington, Brussels and Tokyo mobilized the international community in support of the Karzai
government. Last week in Brussels we met again to assess progress and renew our financial and political commitments for
the coming year.
Thanks to our joint efforts, terrorists have been flushed out of Afghanistan. Millions of children, boys and girls
alike, are back in school. Refugees are flooding home. Land mines are being cleared, crops are growing and roads are
being built. Dutch and German forces are providing security for the people through the International Security Assistance
Force. European governments and the United States are working together to train a national army and national police
force. For the first time in decades, the people of Afghanistan have hope. Now we must ensure that the government s
recurrent budget needs are met during the crucial upcoming year of political and economic reform.
Third, we need to work together to promote relief and recovery in Iraq. The United States wants to work with the EU and
others as partners. The United Nations has an important role. For example, we are responding to the UN humanitarian
appeal and are working in New York on a resolution to authorize the Secretary General to take steps to use funds
available in the oil-for-food program to provide humanitarian support for the Iraqi people. We earnestly hope that
Europeans will come together in working with the U.S. in the development of a stable and peaceful post-Saddam Iraq.
We must remember that the purpose of relief and recovery efforts will be to help the long-suffering people of Iraq
reclaim their country. This is not mainly about repairing the damage from the present military campaign, one that is
being conducted with great restraint. The destruction we will be trying to repair is the result of 20 years of
oppressive rule. Iraq once was a country whose income levels rivaled those of Portugal. The present misery and
destitution of its people results from Saddam Hussein s misuse of Iraq s oil wealth, his terrorism against his own
people, his relentless pursuit of weapons of mass murder and his wars with Iraq s neighbors.
Fourth, we need to accelerate the search for peace between the Palestinians and Israelis. The U.S. and the EU, working
together in the Quartet with [UN] Secretary General Annan and the Russians, have made important strides in getting the
peace process back on track. Together we have made progress in improving the flow of revenues to responsible Palestinian
officials, so that social and economic distress can be relieved. The Palestinians are in the process of filling their
new office of Prime Minister. We have set out the goal of a new Palestinian state, living side by side with Israel in
peace and security. The path to that goal will be an extraordinarily difficult one, but it is a path to which President
Bush is personally committed.
Fifth, we must redouble our efforts to fight terrorism. The international community has made real headway in
constricting the flow of funds to terrorists. The United States and Japan are developing in the G-8 a proposal to
strengthen efforts through the UN to help developing countries who need assistance in their counter-terrorism efforts.
We know, however, that the threat remains real, especially for international transportation. We must therefore
implement with vigor the cooperation that will prevent terrorists from arriving at our ports of entry or risky cargoes
from arriving at our seaports. We are addressing this issue in a variety of UN organizations and as a priority in our
U.S.-EU process. We can and will do this in a way that is sensitive to privacy issues and expedites rather than retards
the flow of legitimate commerce.
Sixth, we must take stronger action to halt the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The problem of
proliferation is getting worse, not better. Not only are states seeking to acquire weapons of mass destruction (WMD)
capabilities, but there is now a real threat that terrorists will get their hands on weapons of mass destruction.
Globalization has brought ever greater cross-border exchanges with goods and information. As a result, it is harder to
track WMD and the materials, equipment and technology needed to make them. The U.S. and EU need to develop practical,
effective ways to act together to halt proliferation, and prevent terrorist acquisition of WMD.
Seventh, we must energize global trade negotiations. As we approach the mid-point of the Doha Development round,
developing countries are beginning to doubt whether there will be real developmental benefits for them. Since the
majority of the poor people of the world live in rural areas, the developing countries are especially concerned about
the lack of progress in eliminating trade-distorting agricultural subsidies and market access barriers. Cooperation
between Europe and the United States was instrumental in launching the WTO [World Trade Organization] talks. We now have
an obligation to strengthen the WTO by leading the negotiations to a successful conclusion, starting with the Cancun
negotiations in September.
Eighth, we must improve our cooperation in supporting progress in the developing countries. The United States is
stepping forward. President Bush has asked Congress to create a new Millennium Challenge Account that will increase U.S.
development assistance by fifty percent. He has also launched a $15 billion campaign, of which $10 billion is new money
for fighting HIV/AIDS over the next five years.
In addition, President Bush has instituted new programs with additional funding to support America s traditional
leadership in the fight against global hunger. Working with the French Presidency of the G-8, the United States
initiated a meeting at UN Headquarters to build support for efforts of the UN, and especially the World Food Program, to
prevent famine in Africa. We want to help create what Secretary General Annan has called a second Green Revolution, one
that benefits African farmers and families. We urge the EU to be a full partner in this endeavor.
Conclusion
Europe and America share much. We lay claim to a common history. We share a commitment to human rights, democratic
institutions, social justice and economic opportunity.
We both enjoy great wealth, and that wealth has been made possible by the unmatched trade and investment relationships
between us. We both have the power to shape events, and our power is multiplied when we work together.
Wealth and power bring with them great responsibilities. We cannot let divisions deepen or distract us from those
responsibilities. Rather, we must use our resources to bring light and hope to people around the world who have suffered
from conflict and oppression. We must protect our own people from terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. And we
should work together, through the Doha Development trade agenda and initiatives to fight HIV/AIDS and famine, to bring
hope and opportunity to the people of developing countries. This is a path that is in keeping with both our interests
and values, and one that will let us build an even stronger Atlantic partnership. [End]