“America is back, the Atlantic Alliance is back,” Biden said, adding that the United States was not interested in the past, only looking to the future. “I know relations with the EU have been challenging in recent years, but I assure you that the United States is committed to working together.”
In his speech, Biden spoke about the common values ​​that the United States maintains with Europe. He called democracy the most important thing. “Democracy does not accidentally fall into our lap. We must defend it, we must defend it, we must fight for it,” he stressed.
The US president has criticized Russia, especially the Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. “Putin wants to weaken the European community and our Atlantic partnership because it is so easy for the Kremlin to provoke and threaten independent nations.”
Biden also anticipates problems in relations with China, which seek to undermine the policies of the International Monetary Fund: “We must be prepared for long-term competition with China. It will be difficult.”
Biden also promised that the United States would spend an additional $ 2 billion (43 billion crowns) on the global Kovac vaccination program, which means that the United States has doubled its contribution to the program. World Health Organization (WHO) President Tetros Adanom Caprese spoke at the conference, saying the fight against an epidemic would not be possible without equal access to the vaccine.
Challenges to diversity and strengthening NATO
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also identified epidemiology and climate change as major challenges at the conference. He also announced that Germany would contribute another 1.5 1.5 billion to the international vaccination program. In total, it will allocate 1 2.1 billion to global vaccination efforts.
Madeleine said Germany was ready for a new chapter in Atlantic relations and that diversity was better now than it was two years ago. According to him, the new relations between Europe and the United States will face two basic tasks: relations with Russia and relations with China. With regard to Moscow, according to the Chancellor, it is necessary to offer cooperation, but also to clearly state the differences.
French President Emmanuel Macron said talks with Russia were needed. He identified climate protection, the defense of democracy, the promotion of pluralism and the guarantee of freedom of expression as key tasks for renewed cooperation between the United States and the European Union. He said it was necessary to change the general security strategy and establish a new strategic concept for NATO, which needed a strong political component.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on Europe and North America to strengthen security cooperation within NATO and protect international norms that undermine Russia and China. According to him, he must also face the misinformation that these countries are trying to destabilize the international system.
The Election Commission seeks cooperation in cyber security
European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen praised the return of the United States to a global agreement on climate protection and called on the United States and the European Union to work together to meet the challenges facing Russia and China. It also called on the United States to join Europe’s efforts to address the digital world. What is illegal in the real world should be illegal in cyberspace, he said.
Following his speech, Charles Michael, President of the Council of Europe, compared the current alliance between the United States and Europe as the backbone of the international order. According to him, only international cooperation can counter the dangers of dictatorial countries, including Russia, China and Iran.