The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, put aside, at a meeting in New York on Wednesday 22 September, the tensions linked to the announcement of the AUKUS partnership and the cancellation of the French submarine contract by Australia (see EUROPE 12795/4) to announce a strengthening of the transatlantic relationship.
Building on the joint statement of appeasement by the US and French presidents a few hours earlier, and on their exchanges of the day, the High Representative and the Secretary of State decided to work on “practical steps to deepen dialogue and cooperation”, according to a statement from the European External Action Service (EEAS).
Reaffirming the strong alliance between the EU and the US, the two men said they wanted to deepen their commitment to addressing global challenges, “including stability in the Indo-Pacific region”. According to a US State Department statement, Mr Blinken welcomed the recent publication of the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific (see EUROPE 12792/1) and reiterated his country’s intention to work closely with the EU and other partners to support a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
He also reiterated the US commitment to a strong relationship with the EU.
According to the EEAS, the two men underlined as well the relevance of EU defence efforts, which will also contribute to a stronger NATO. Mr Borrell recalled the need to launch a comprehensive structured dialogue on security and defence. There is no mention of this by the State Department.
Mr Borrell and Mr Blinken also discussed Afghanistan, Iran, China and the Western Balkans, including the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue (see EUROPE 12789/9).
They agreed to continue their discussions in the coming weeks, according to the EEAS. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)