Comments by EUHR Solana - European Institute's 2003 Transatlantic Leadership Award

Mr. Chairman, Madam President, Your Excellencies, Honourable Members, Ladies and Gentlemen


It is a pleasure and an honour to be with you tonight. I am delighted to see many good friends here tonight. Jacqueline is one of them, and I want to thank her particularly for the great job she does day in day out. Her, and the Institute's, contribution to the transatlantic partnership is tremendous.

We need that work and that commitment. Times have been tough for those of us convinced of the importance of the transatlantic relationship. In the wake of the Iraq crisis, some have doubted the value of enduring alliances. Others have questioned the existence of common values and interests across the Atlantic. Well, they are very wrong, and they need to be told they are wrong. That is why the work of this Institute is so important. And that is why we have all come together to honour Senator Chuck Hagel from Nebraska. Because he believes, as European leaders stated last weekend, that the transatlantic relationship is irreplaceable. He not only believes so, he says so. Coming from a patriot, like Chuck Hagel, that statement means something.

It is at times like these that we need people who show leadership, courage and commitment. The Senator fits the bill on all these scores. He demonstrates leadership in the US Senate. He sits on three committees: Foreign Relations; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; and the Select Committee on Intelligence. He is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations International Economic Policy, Export and Trade promotion Subcommittee and the Senate Banking International Trade and Finance Subcommittee. He also serves as the Co-chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. And some people think I have a long job description!

Chuck, you have always shown courage, be it in Vietnam or elsewhere. You never hesitate to speak your mind and to challenge conventional wisdom. All through the recent transatlantic crisis, you have insisted on the need to keep a sense of proportion in the criticism of allies and you have extolled the virtues of leadership by persuasion. We commend you for that.

And we commend your unyielding commitment to the partnership between Europe and America. It is the commitment of someone who sees the big picture, who sees the wood behind the trees. You refuse to be blinded by the occasional irritants in the relationship, which by the way have always existed. You understand the significance of our common achievements and the continuing need for a close co-operation based on shared interests, values, and responsibilities.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Almost four years ago I had the honour to receive the Transatlantic Leadership Award, jointly with Madeleine Albright. That evening, I spoke to you of the EU's determination to build a stronger foreign policy. I also said that doing so was not just in the interest of Europe but also of the US. A stronger Europe will be a more reliable a more valuable partner for the US in world where we have, together, to confront new challenges. That was true four years ago, and that is true today. The tragic events of 11 September 2001 make this even more of an imperative today.

Disagreements over Iraq have obscured this reality in the minds of many observers, of people who lack Chuck Hagel's wisdom and understanding of what really matters. He understands that even allies can disagree from time to time. He also understands that rather than dwelling on recriminations over the past, Europeans and Americans must look to the future. The world will be a better place if we work together.

The Iraq crisis has also obscured another phenomenon, and that is the progress achieved by the EU in the definition of a foreign policy. Europe's internal disagreements on Iraq do not mean that a common EU foreign and security policy is either unrealistic or doomed. On the contrary, what happened underlines how badly we need a stronger common policy. Recognising this, the European Council in Brussels adopted last Friday the first ever European Security Strategy. This strategy confirms and strengthens a convergence of European foreign policy in recent years: look at the Balkans, look at the Middle East, look at our common stand on non-proliferation or the fight against terrorism, look at the progress made in terms of the ESDP.

The strategy sets out our perception of threats, and by doing so, it sends a strong signal to our American friends: we take your concerns seriously, and we are ready to act to do something about them. It then defines our main strategic objectives: addressing these threats; building security in our neighbourhood; and strengthening an international order based on effective multilateralism.

Adopting a strategy is fine. But as the paper itself states, it will be vital to have the means and instruments needed to achieve our aims. We are taking action to make the European Union more active, more capable and more coherent. Adoption of an EU constitution would allow us to do more, which is why the failure to reach agreement last weekend is so disappointing. But the EU has recovered from previous setbacks, and we will do so again. It may take a little more time, but I have no doubt whatsoever that we will get there in the end.

My message tonight is clear. We want to be partners with the US, we are ready to share the burden and to shoulder our part of the responsibility, and we are determined to attack the root causes of the ills befalling the world. And I know that in this endeavour, we can count on the support of friends like Chuck Hagel, with his generosity, his wisdom, and his commitment. Chuck, there are some words of Dean Acheson about Adenauer, that you like to quote and which sum up your wisdom. They urge us to "know when it is essential to compromise in order to save a possible great future from the threat of present difficulties of detail."

Chuck, it my great pleasure and honour to present you with the European Institute Transatlantic Leadership Award.

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• EUHR Solana will visit the United States (16/12/2003)