Transatlantic relationship

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have shocked the world. Evil has struck at the heart of America. I would like to express my profound sympathy to the victims and their families, to the relentless rescue workers, to the American people and the leaders of the United States.

What happened in New York and Washington is beyond description: blind terrorism killed innocent people, men, women, and children. It struck not only the United States but all peoples and nations that share the values of freedom and democracy. The images we saw on the 11th of September will haunt us for the rest of our lives.

The outpouring of sympathy and support has been immediate and universal. In my country as in the whole of Europe, there was shock, disbelief, anger and fear.

Belgians from all walks of life have expressed their sympathy. The most telling example was that, for the first time in history, the Jewish and Muslim Communities of Belgium have joined together to issue a statement condemning the attacks in the strongest terms.

Intolerance and hatred have no place in an increasingly globalized world. They lead to terrorism, which is the negation of the fundamental values our societies stand for. It is the moral duty of any nation, country and organization that claims to be part of the civilized world to eradicate the scourge of terrorism.

The challenge will be to defend our open societies against the kind of attacks we have witnessed while respecting the very values of freedom and tolerance that form their basis. We cannot retreat behind a fortress Europe or a fortress America. We cannot sacrifice our individual and collective liberties in order to secure ourselves. We cannot militarize our societies and restrict the freedom that supports and upholds our economic and social prosperity.

Both the United States and Europe have a long-standing tradition of religious freedom and respect for other cultures. We cannot let Muslim people or persons of Arab origin become the victims of our fear and anger. We cannot give such victories to international terrorism. Our fight against terrorism is a fight for the respect of our values and liberties as well as for the rights of the human being.

The United Nations Security Council quickly stated that the attacks represent a threat to international peace and security. The NATO allies have clearly decided that the attack against the United States can be considered as an attack against all of them and that they are willing to provide support in defense of collective security. These were strong messages of political solidarity.

Today, we, Presidency of the European Union, High Representative and Commission, have brought to Secretary Powell our message of support.

Through their declaration of September 14, the Heads of State and Government of the European Union have committed full cooperation. Europe does and will continue to do everything in its power to bring to justice those responsible for the attacks and to combat terrorism.

No one nation can defeat international terrorism on its own. In the broad coalition that is being forged there is a unique role to play for the transatlantic partnership between the European Union and the United States. In this endeavor, the EU will use a wide range of instruments.

In the meeting today with Secretary Powell, we agreed to vigorously pursue cooperation in the following areas: aviation and other transport security; police and judicial cooperation, including extradition; denial of financing of terrorism including financial sanctions; denial of other means of support to terrorists; export control and non-proliferation; border controls, including visa and documents security issues; law enforcement access and exchange of electronic data.

EU Justice and Interior Ministers met last Tuesday in Brussels and discussed the need for a European arrest warrant. This would be an important measure to improve law enforcement coordination among member states. It has also been decided that the member states will strengthen their intelligence capacities and enhance cooperation in this field.

EU Finance Ministers will urgently address the issue of how terrorism is financed. They will need to examine the availability of legal instruments to prevent terrorists from generating and transferring funds to support their criminal activities.

EU Transport Ministers will continue to work on new and more effective air traffic safety measures. It is important that not only the US but all countries take immediate steps to this purpose.

EU Foreign Ministers will examine concrete measures to increase the capacity of the Union to effectively combat terrorism jointly with the United States and other partners.

In these endeavors we will have to mobilize the world community. The EU and its member states are using all their diplomatic channels of communication to urge other countries to commit themselves to the universal fight against terrorism. By pursuing a dialogue with these countries, we are assisting the Unites States in the construction of a global coalition.

The upcoming United Nations General Assembly is an opportunity to reaffirm the world community's anti-terrorist commitment. The sixth committee dealing with legal affairs will have to intensify its work. We have to pursue the adoption and enforcement of binding legal instruments such as the international convention against terrorism.

Also, regional and international organizations will be urged to strengthen their commitment to combat terrorism within the scope of their responsibilities.

Americans can rest assured that the European Union is ready to work together with the United States. We will be a strong partner. Our resolve is beyond question. We are prepared to mobilize all our capabilities in a joint effort encompassing diplomatic, legal, economic and financial instruments and thus complement possible actions taken by NATO and other allies.

The United States is our closest friend. We are in this together. America stood by us in our darkest hours. Today, Europe stands with you.

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