On Thursday 10 December, following the US presidential elections, the European Heads of State or Government discussed transatlantic relations, a few days after their foreign ministers discussed the same topic (see EUROPE 12617/1).
In their conclusions, which are identical to the draft conclusions of 7 December (see EUROPE 12619/3), the leaders highlighted “the importance of a strong strategic transatlantic partnership based on common interests and shared values”. This partnership is even more important in the light of the urgent global challenges they believe the world is facing.
Speaking to the press, Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, stressed the leaders’ desire “to identify the themes for an ambitious alliance with a country that is an ally, a friend, with which we share extremely strong and robust values, and with which we would like to establish even more partnerships in the future in various sectors, and also to put multilateral commitment back at the top of the international agenda”.
The areas of cooperation where the EU “looks forward” to working with the US include: improving the global response to tackling Covid-19, tackling climate change, economic recovery, and digital and technological matters. Other areas of cooperation described in the conclusions include strengthening mutual trade, addressing trade disputes, reforming the WTO and promoting multilateralism, peace and security.
The conclusions can be found at: https://bit.ly/2LjFpIe (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)