Further supplementary memorandum by Mr
Jim Murphy MP, the then Minister for Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth
Office
EUROPEAN SECURITY
STRATEGY
During the evidence session on 3 July, I said
that I would write after my visit to the US.
I reflected during the evidence session that
the EU-US Summit declaration talked about "transatlantic
unity of purpose" and the centrality of this struck me again
during my visit. As the European Security Strategy says, "acting
together, the European Union and the United States can be a formidable
force for good in the world".
The US remains committed to European security
through its commitment to NATO. During the NATO Summit, President
Bush said that building a strong NATO Alliance also requires a
strong European defence capacity and encouraged European partners
to increase their defence investments to support both NATO and
EU operations—an important issue that Lord Hamilton also
raised during the evidence session. The US currently has around
23,550 troops in Afghanistan and European nations contribute a
similar number. Both the US and EU are developing their deployable
civilian capabilities to assist conflict-affected countries.
There are some differences in the US and EU
approaches to security. Geography plays a part, with greater US
interests in the Pacific. I also expect the European Security
Strategy to be clearer than the 2008 EU-US Summit declaration
about the relationship between climate change, conflict and security.
The US and EU work closely together on a variety
of regional conflicts, most notably the Middle East Peace Process.
The independence of Kosovo and deployment of the EULEX rule of
law mission mark another stage in the shared European and American
effort to build security in the former Yugoslavia, with the US
participating in an EU mission for the first time. We also work
together closely on the proliferation threat from Iran and violations
of human rights in countries such as Burma and Zimbabwe.
The US and EU share a wide-ranging agenda on
security. The updated European Security Strategy will need to
capture this, forming part of the strategic backdrop to the 2009
Strasbourg/Kehl NATO Summit with the new US President.
29 July 2008
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