Brussels, 27/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - The new American Secretary of State, Colin Powell was received at the European Commission on 27 February by President Romano Prodi and the Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten, before the EU/United States ministerial meeting in Washington on 6 March (which will essentially be devoted to political issues and in which, other than Prodi and Patten, the High Representative for Cfsp, Javier Solana will be taking part). This meeting comes just over a month since the Bush Administration took office and a few weeks before the presentation by the European Commission of a communication on the future of transatlantic relations - communication which aims to render cooperation between the EU and the United States more action oriented and more focused on essential issues.
At the end of the meeting, Romano Prodi, in a statement, said that "we had a first exchange of views on how to make the EU-US partnership even more effective". "When we work together we can set the agenda on the international scene", he noted. And, regarding "questions on which "we inevitably disagree", he said he was "confident that we will cooperate closely to identify, handle and resolve such differences" (the new American Secretary of State is said to have shown his political willingness to resolve certain disputes, and notably those concerning the banana, hormone-treated meat and "hushkits"). Prodi stipulates in his statement that he had discussed with Mr. Powell, in particular, "the challenges and opportunities which the imminent introduction of the euro and the ambitious process of enlargement represent for the EU" as well as the situation: - in the Western Balkans, where the Union has assumed the lead responsibility in stabilising the region, and where "it is now carrying out the bulk of the burden both financially as well as militarily" (but, "it is important that the US remains engaged in providing stability and security"); - in the Middle East, which, according to the Commission President, should become, "following the successful example of EU-US cooperation in the Balkans, a major plank of EU-US foreign policy cooperation". In this context, Powell especially raised the organisation of a donor conference for Palestine with his interlocutors (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.7 for the conclusions of the U Council).