| Fact Sheet Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Washington, DC February 17, 2005 U.S.-EU Cooperation in the Broader Middle East
Nations that choose the path of reform are taking steps towards greater independence, greater wealth and greater hopes for the citizens. The United States is committed to helping nations that embrace clear standards of economic, political and social reform.
President George W. Bush At their June 2004 Summit, the United States and the European Union (EU) pledged to work together to support indigenous democratic development, promote economic integration, enhance human rights, and increase literacy in the broader Middle East and Mediterranean region. The two agreed to coordinate their respective efforts in the region and to work in partnership and dialogue with governments and representatives of civil society. (See http://www.state.gov/p/eur/rls/fs/36897.htm for a copy of the U.S.-EU declaration.) In furtherance of the Summit agreement, U.S. diplomats in the region meet on a regular basis with their European counterparts to discuss on-going programs with the host country as a means to increase effectiveness and avoid duplication. The United States and the European Union provide over $3 billion of bilateral, non-military assistance to the broader Middle East region each year. For the United States, important instruments for promoting reform in the region are the G-8’s Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative (BMENA), U.S. bilateral assistance programs with individual countries, and the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) (See http://mepi.state.gov). MEPI seeks to link regional, U.S. and global businesses, non-governmental organizations, civil society elements and governments to support political openness, private sector growth, and quality education. EU efforts in the region center around the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (a.k.a. the Barcelona Process, see http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/euromed/index.htm), the European Neighborhood Policy (http://europa.eu.int/comm/world/enp/policy_en.htm), and the EU’s cooperation agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (explained in more detail at http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/gulf_cooperation/intro/index.htm). Under the G-8 BMENA framework, the first Forum for the Future was hosted by Morocco in December 2004, and eight initiatives promoting economic opportunity, political reform, and education are being implemented with regional partners. The U.S. the EU, and G-8 and regional partners are preparing for the second meeting of the Forum for the Future, which will take place in Bahrain later this year. (For more information, see http://www.state.gov/e/eeb/ecosum/future/.)
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