On Wednesday 27 October, Alison Weston, Head of Division for Partnerships and the NATO Working Group at the European External Action Service (EEAS), argued the case for strengthening the EU’s partnerships with third countries and organisations.
During a debate on the ‘Strategic Compass’ in the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Security and Defence, Ms Weston said that “partnership is a priority point on the Compass”. According to her, this “reflects the ambition of the 2016 EU Global Strategy and the challenges faced on the world stage and also the fundamental nature of the EU as an international actor”. “There is a very urgent need to talk more actively about how to strengthen our partnerships”, said Ms Weston.
Therefore, she claimed that although the EU and the UN are cooperating, both at headquarters and in the field, “more can be done”. “We are working on updating our priorities for 2022-2024. It is hoped that an agreement will be reached by the end of the year”, she added.
The EU also intends to strengthen its cooperation with NATO, with a new joint declaration scheduled for December. According to the EEAS representative, the two organisations could collaborate more on resilience, climate change and emerging threats.
Ms Weston also highlighted cooperation with other organisations, such as the African Union and the OSCE, or the strengthening of the EU’s role in the ASEAN security structure.
In terms of bilateral relations, Ms Weston cited Canada, Norway and the United States - with which the EU hopes to establish a security and defence dialogue - but explained that it was still too early for the UK. “The political conditions are not ripe, not present for us to work together. We are ready to do so in the future”, she explained. She also wanted the EU to strengthen its relations with Africa and South America. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)