US-Europe World Affairs

The Director of EUROPOL Rob Wainwright and the Executive Associate Director of U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Peter Edge, met in the Hague and singed a new agreement which brings the two Law-Enforcement Agencies from the both sides of Atlantic closer, enabling them to work in more synchronized and effective ways in the Operations against organized crimes.

 

The Director of EUROPOL Rob Wainwright and the Executive Associate Director of U.S ICE  Peter Edge. The Hague  February 17, 2016 © EUROPOL

 

With this Agreement, the U.S  ICE  enters a new membership in Europol’s Focal Point Sustrans  the ongoing Operations that targets organized crimes,  money laundering, Human trafficking/smuggling and the irregular migration.  This Agreement is an addition to the EUROPOL’s Focal Point Checkpoint Operations, to which the U.S ICE is already part of it. 

 “Simply put, when we follow the money, we find criminals. Some criminal enterprises focus on smuggling and Cybercrime, others drugs and arms trafficking, but all of them – including those engaged in terrorism finance – try to manipulate financial systems for their gain, which is another avenue we can use to disrupt and dismantle their operations. Today’s signing signals HSI’s commitment to the International Cooperation that is crucial to Law-Enforcement success in this arena.”  highlighted  US ICE Executive Associate Director Peter Edge. The Hague February 17,2016 © EUROPOL

“In this technological era, nations around the World cannot tackle criminality on their own. Money laundering is a complex and relentless offence which requires a concerted International response. I am therefore delighted to see such an important partner join our continued efforts to build a borderless Law-Enforcement community.” stated the Director of EUROPOL Rob Wainwright. The Hague February 17, 2016 ©EUROPOL

 

By Catherine Stella Schmidt 

The European Union External Action Service ‘EEAS’ is a Diplomatic Department of European Union based in Brussels that is responsible for EU’s Foreign and Security Policy.  As of present time–  EEAS  is engaged in 11 Civilian Deployment Missions in various parts of the World. 

With the high scope of success, the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia ‘EUMM is one of them. 

©The EUMM

The Mission was launched in  September 2008 following the EU-mediated Six Point Agreement, which ended the August war in Georgia.

The Objectives of the Mission:

• To ensure that there is no return to hostilities; 
• To facilitate the resumption of a safe and normal life for the local communities living on both sides of the Administrative Boundary Lines (ABL) with Abkhazia and South Ossetia; 
• To build confidence among the conflict parties; 
• To inform EU policy in Georgia and the wider region ©The EUMM

 

Israel is a Member State of NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue, which with the aim of maintaining Security and Stability in the region, was established in 1994. 

With the spiral upheaval and the un-ceased mayhem in the Middle-East the Leadership of Israel and its Armed-Forces has been and will remain to be, eminently, crucial. A Role, for which, Israel is highly prepared.

Related official documents:

Speech by the NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow at the conference on NATO-Israel cooperation, La Hulpe, Belgium  November 2014

Standing NATO Maritime-2 visited Israel, December 2015 

Israel and its Leadership in the World, the Armed Forces

“ Hungary  is now one of Europe’s most stable Countries”, highlighted Prime Minister Viktor Orbán

 15 February 2016 © The Office of Prime Minister  

“…..in general Europeans have successfully shrugged off censorship, and it has emerged that, on the subject of Hungarian Border Protection Policy, many more people on the Continent agree with Hungary than are against it. Today Hungary’s standpoint is the standpoint of the majority of people in Europe, and Europeans cannot understand why their governments are not doing the same as Hungary’s government is doing” highlighted Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the Parliament.  February 2106 © The Office of Prime Minister Orbán    

Continue to read the Prime Minister’s Speech at the Hungarian National Assembly

As it is greatly audible that the Policy of some of EU States in regard with European Security is outdated, irrelevant –that is neither applicable any more to the challenges of  2016 and beyond– nor effective in a real time. 

Europe needs a Strong and Coherent Border Security Policy, as many EU Leaders have been voicing for a long time. From every aspects of Political science, it is time for Europe to go beyond its old orbit and move…… into the belated Realm of  Multifaceted EU Reform, notably –also on the Security of its Border fronts. (by the Editor)

On January 28, following the meeting of the Prime Minister Netanyahu with the President of the Republic of Cyprus and the Prime Minister of Hellenic Republic, a closer partnerships and cooperation between Cyprus-Greece and Israel was established.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades and Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras. Nicosia 28, 2016 ©The office of PM Netanyahu/Haim Zach, GPO

“We, Nikos Anastasiades, President of the Republic of Cyprus, Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel, and Alexis Tsipras, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, having met in Nicosia today, 28th January 2016, have agreed to strengthen the cooperation between our three countries in order to promote a Trilateral Partnership in different fields of common interest and to work together towards promoting Peace, Stability, Security and Prosperity in the Mediterranean and the wider Region.” January. 28, 2016 ©The office of Prime Minister Netanyahu

Continue to read

NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg’s elaboration on the increase of United States Defense budget and Military commitment to European Security and Defense in NATO by emphasizing:  “This proposal is a vivid demonstration of the strength of our Transatlantic bond.”

February 2, 2016 © NATO

The Official document from the White House:  Statement by President Obama on the FY2017 European Reassurance Initiative Budget Request, The White House February 2,2016

 

 The United States of America and Europe

The partnership between the United States of America and Europe is a complementary …….an enduring historical relations of Roots , Culture, Heritage, Values that originated and developed over 1000 years.

Describing it in a simple modern words, with an overall majority of the Americans with the European Ancestors, it is a tangible form of Family Affairs, that neither America can move on without Europe…….. nor Europe can ever let it go!  That the Relations and Destiny of both are intertwined ……beyond any superficial aspects and countenance.

If the European first discovered….. and created the New World ‘The United States of America’, centuries ago, as the Viking Sailors were the first in 985,……..it was the U.S that came at any ghostly, gloomy era in defending Europe.

 The United States was also the first Nation to recognize the European Union   in August 1952, established in its early form of ‘The European Coal and Steel Community’ (ECSC).

(Excerpt from Political text ‘Sublime and Beautiful Europe and the United States of America’, by Catherine Stella Schmidt 2009)

Joint Statement by Ambassador Froman and EU Commissioner Malmström on T-TIP: 

“The European Union and the United States have made considerable progress towards a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in the past year, notably since the G7 Elmau summit in June, when we agreed to accelerate work on all elements of the agreement.  We are fully committed  December 11, 2015 © Office of the United States Trade Representative

Additional documents by European Commission:

RECORDED 11th Round of negotiations for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)

The benefits of TTIP: Economic Growth, Global Economic Rules and a Stronger Transatlantic Partnership

 

By Catherine Stella Schmidt (Copyrighted material)