Brussels, 04/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - The EU and the United States should strengthen their economic ties and assume international leadership to improve the way the world works, according to the conservatives in the EPP party at the European Parliament.
The leader of the EPP group, Joseph Daul of France, headed an EPP delegation comprising Ioannis Kasoulides of Greece, Gunnar Hökmark of Sweden, Marian-Jean Marinescu of Romania, Jan Olbrycht of Poland, József Szájer of Hungary, Corien Wortmann-Kool of the Netherlands and Christian Ehler of Germany which completed on Saturday 1 September an annual trip to the United States, where they held meetings with the heads of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to discuss the crisis in the global economy. They attended a national conference of the US Republican Party in Tampa, Florida, to examine the consequences for Europe and the rest of the world if the Republican candidate, Mitt Romney, wins the presidential elections in November.
In a statement published when the delegation got back to Europe, Daul said “We need to use the Euro-Atlantic partnership to change the way global governance functions. The United States and Europe can and must take a leadership role in defining the principles and structures of this new multipolar, multilateral world. We all know the difficult challenges we face today - economic insecurity, energy independence, climate change, migration, terrorism. Common action on these fronts is essential. And in addressing these issues, we need to find ways of bringing on board Russia, China, India, Brazil and the other new regional powers. We are home to the world's most successful democracies. I believe we need to use this partnership to put in place the right policies and the right institutions on a world-wide scale. (...) I believe that only a strong America with a strong Europe as its partner can guarantee peace, prosperity in this century. The good will is there, now we need more joint action.” During the five-day trip, Daul held talks in Florida with Republican Gus Bilirakis, member of the Congress' Foreign Affairs Committee, about the situation in Greece and trade and security issues.
The EPP group says it has sent three observers to the Democratic Party's Convention in Charlotte that began on Monday 3 September. (EH/transl.fl)