03 April 2009
United States, Europeans Share a Convergence of Views
Washington — President Obama said April 3 that prospects for peace and prosperity around the world are strengthened when the United States and France act together.
And French President Nicolas Sarkozy said, “There is a total identity of views between us, convergence of views. I would like to say to Barack Obama just how delighted I’ve been to be able to work hand in hand with him.”
Obama and Sarkozy met privately April 3 in Strasbourg, France, after leaving the G20 Financial Summit held in London the day before. The G20 summit worked on measures to address the global economic recession. France and Germany are hosting the 60th anniversary NATO Summit, which is being held April 3–4 along the Rhine River in Strasbourg, France, and in Kehl on the German side of the river. Several events are also planned in nearby Baden-Baden, Germany.
Obama also met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel April 3 in Baden-Baden.
Speaking in Strasbourg at a press conference, Obama said it is important for NATO to engage Russia and recognize that the Russians have legitimate interests.
“In some cases we’ve got common interests. But we also have some common core disagreements,” Obama said. He said he held a “terrific bilateral meeting” with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during the G20 Financial Summit.
Sarkozy praised Obama for reengaging with Medvedev to come up with new agreements that are aimed at reducing nuclear weapons and helping to resolve shared challenges with Iran, which is pursuing a nuclear weapons development program. “The last thing we need is a new Cold War,” he said.
With the Europeans, Russia and the United States working together on the Iranian issue, Obama said, there can be a peaceful resolution that also respects Iran’s sovereignty and allows Iran to develop peaceful nuclear energy. The United States has been working with Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear weapons program in return for a series of economic and political incentives.
“I brought this up in my conversations with President Medvedev, and it will be an ongoing topic of our bilateral negotiations,” Obama said.
Obama also said he criticized Russia for its invasion of Georgia in 2008 and that, despite extraordinary efforts by the French president to broker a cease-fire, “we have not seen a stabilization of that situation.” Because of the Russian-Georgian conflict in August, the NATO-Russia Council was suspended, though efforts are now under way to revive the council and for NATO to resume regular talks with Russia at this summit.
Among the issues at the summit is support for continuing operations in Afghanistan. The United States has been actively seeking more support from its partners. Obama said the security and reconstruction of Afghanistan is not solely an American mission.
“This is a NATO mission, this is an international mission,” Obama said. “Having al-Qaida operate safe havens that can be used to launch attacks is a threat not just to the United States, but to Europe.”
OBAMA AND MERKEL EXCHANGE VIEWS
Obama also held a joint news conference in Baden-Baden with Chancellor Merkel April 3 before a working dinner with all of the NATO leaders. Obama said he did not come to his first NATO summit “bearing grand designs” for change.
Merkel told reporters that Germany wants to act responsibly in meeting its NATO obligations in Afghanistan, saying, “We want to do something in order to train the Afghan national forces, but also the police in Afghanistan.”
Obama announced a new U.S. strategic approach to Afghanistan and Pakistan on March 27 that includes a heavy emphasis on building up the Afghan army and enhancing the training and equipping of the Afghan national police. The United States is also dispatching 17,000 additional U.S. troops to the country and is sending an additional 4,000 U.S. Army trainers to train more Afghan troops. (See “Obama Announces New Strategy for Afghanistan, Pakistan.”)
On NATO, Obama said joint efforts in Afghanistan have to be bolstered to become more effective, but it is also essential that at this summit the NATO allies develop a strategic framework for how NATO moves forward facing new 21st-century challenges.
A transcript of remarks by Obama and Sarkozy is available on America.gov.
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