Blinken statement on Europe Day

F.P. Report

WASHINGTON: Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State has said that on behalf of the American people, I join the citizens of the European Union in celebrating Europe Day.

On this day, 72 years ago, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman put forward the idea for what would eventually become the European Union.  His vision became real 30 years ago with the signature of the Treaty on European Union in Maastricht.  Schuman’s animating principle was that closer cooperation and creative thinking could bring about lasting peace in Europe and around the world.  That same spirit continues to inspire cooperation both within the EU and across the Atlantic Ocean.

The U.S.-EU partnership has grown deeper and stronger in the decades since, expanding to encompass the full range of regional and global challenges that we face together.  Alongside our EU partners and friends, we have brought to life the prospect of cooperation and creativity that Schuman and so many leaders on both sides of the Atlantic envisioned.

Today’s U.S.-EU relationship is a forward-looking partnership that seeks not only to respond to the crises we face but also to build the opportunities of the future.  From working to end the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic to tackling the climate crisis, from strengthening our cooperation on technology and the digital economy to advocating for human rights and democracy within our own borders and worldwide, the United States and EU are working together more closely than ever to make the world a safer and more resilient place where all people can live in dignity and freedom.

The Russian government’s brutal and unjustified war against Ukraine has made clearer than ever the urgency of promoting and defending the values and ideals that the EU and the U.S.-EU relationship represent.  It has also demonstrated how the dream of a Europe whole, free, and at peace continues to motivate those in Europe and beyond working for a more secure, more just, and more prosperous world.

Today, on Europe Day, I extend my congratulations and warm wishes to the European Union’s citizens, member states, and institutions.