Fletcher Features
High Representative Javier Solana Predicts an EU More United with Itself, the US, and the World
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana sees heartening developments on many fronts in the relationship between Europe and the United States, he told a Fletcher audience at a luncheon forum on September 18 sponsored by the International Securities Studies Program (ISSP) at The Fletcher School.
Solana, the European Union’s High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, emphasized that the European Union implements its foreign policies in close cooperation with other countries, as well as international organizations, such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Arab League and the African Union.
Solana paid particular attention to the cooperation of the European Union with the United States, especially in the Middle East. The EU High Representative said that the peace process in the Middle East had lacked mediation until President Obama’s visit this year to Cairo, Egypt.
Although the process has been difficult, Solana said he saw potential for improvements, and stressed that the development of the peace process in the Middle East was crucial for relations with Iran. Solana praised the willingness of the new U.S. administration to work with other countries and noted in particular the appointment of former senator George Mitchell as the United States special envoy to the Middle East.
Another field of cooperation between the United States and the European Union is Afghanistan. For the European Union, this is the biggest foreign operation (30,000 troops on the ground) and a model of close cooperation with NATO.
Solana also praised the Obama administration’s recent decision to scuttle plans to deploy a missile defense system in the Czech Republic.
That move, he said, will make it easier for the European Union to improve relations with Russia, particularly negotiations on a pan-European security system. Relations with Russia are “everyday business” for Europe, he said, and the EU cannot afford “superpower games.”
“We share the continent with this country, and develop neighborhood relationships,” Solana said.
The world will look different after the financial crisis ends, with emerging markets playing a bigger role in the global economy, Solana said. These new world powers should be more involved in solving the global problems, including climate change, economic development and international conflict resolution.
Solana reminded the audience that the initial basis of the European Union was economic, but member states gradually moved beyond that. In 1999, the EU countries decided to form common foreign and security policies.
In early October, the European Union may start a new chapter in its history – ratification and implementation of the Lisbon Treaty. According to Solana, this treaty will increase opportunities for the EU to develop its foreign policies, as there will be a new post at the top of the EU, the High Representative for Foreign Policy, who will have the ultimate authority to carry out international negotiations on behalf of the Union.
In Solana’s view, today’s European Union is a post-modern state and a good model of coalition, which other countries may adopt. “If Lisbon is adopted, in 15 years we will be much more united and active,” Solana said.
Maria Yulikova, F10