Doorstep statement on Turkey/the e failed Coup and Brexit, by Minister for Foreign Affairs Sebastian KURZ of Austria, at his arrival at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. July 18, 2016 European Union/European Council
Speech by Prime Minister Mark Rutte to the European Parliament on July 5
July 5, 2016 © The Office of PM Rutte
Secretary Kerry has travelled to Brussels, from July 17–18, and met with EU Member State Foreign Ministers and EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, to discuss range of important subjects on Foreign Policy. During the press conference Secretary Kerry reaffirmed:
“It is that the U.S-EU Partnership is strong – strong today, will remain strong into the future, it is enduring, and it is unbreakable. And it is all of those things for some very simple reasons.”
On the issue of Turkey and the fate of the detainee of the failed Coup Secretary Kerry stated:
“So very quickly, let me just say with respect to NATO and the movement of Turkey, obviously, NATO also has a requirement with respect to Democracy, and NATO will indeed measure very carefully what is happening. And my hope is that Turkey is going to move in ways that do respect what they have said to me many times is the bedrock of their country. Now, obviously, a lot of people have been arrested and arrested very quickly, and so as Federica has said, I think the level of vigilance and scrutiny is obviously going to be significant in the days ahead. And we’ll work very closely, and hopefully we can work in a constructive way that prevents a backsliding, and that is our hope. Brussels July 18, 2016 © Department of State
On the same subject the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini stated:
“Let me be very clear on one thing – actually, on two. One, no country can become a EU member-state if it introduces death penalty. That is very clear in our acquis, as we call it. So this is for sure. The other point I would like to stress, even if this is not the institution I am entitled to speak for, but Turkey is part – an important part – of the Council of Europe. It’s an important member of the Council of Europe, and as such is bound by the European Convention of Human Rights that is very clear on death penalty. I hope I’ve been clear.”
“And let me add something that maybe it’s useful to stress here: We have been the first to stress the need during that difficult hours – the need for having the legitimate institutions protected against the attempt of coup. This is no excuse to take the country away from fundamental rights and rule of law, and we will be extremely vigilant on that for the sake not of the European Union or negotiations, but for the sake of Turkey itself.” Brussels July 18, 2016 © Department of State
Joint Press conference of Secretary Kerry with the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini
NATO pledged to deploy further efforts and resources for maintaining Stability and Security in Europe and beyond, and strengthening its Partners.
Secretary General Stoltenberg opening Statement at the NATO Summit, July 8th
“To the south we see failed and failing states. And millions left homeless and hopeless by terrorist groups like ISIL.” “This instability has a direct impact on our societies. The scale of the challenge demands that we take action”. States NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg July 9, 2016 © NATO
Joint Declaration by the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, and the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization:
“We believe that the time has come to give new impetus and new substance to the NATO-EU strategic partnership.” Continue to read
Statement by President Obama at Press Conference After NATO Summit
Additional References on the Summit: NATO leaders bolster collective Deterrence and Defence
Statement of the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the start of the Summit in Warsaw
U.S. Assurance and Deterrence Efforts in Support of NATO Allies, by US Mission to NATO
From Air Policing Operations in the Baltic, to the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, UK Forces are at the heart of NATO. July 8, 2016 ©FCO
The third Western Balkans Summit was held in Paris on July 4th, as the following steps of Western Balkans Summit in Berlin-2014 and Vienna-2015.
“The Western Balkans is a Region in our immediate vicinity with which we have very close inter-personal, cultural, economic and political ties. Improvement in local quality of life as well as enhancing Stability, Safety, Security and Prosperity in the Western Balkans are thus in our most fundamental interest.” elaborated Minister for Foreign Affairs Sebastian Kurz July 4, 2016 © Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs
Additional references: Western Balkans Summit Paris 2016
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of Andrew Gilmour of the United Kingdom as Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights and Head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in New York. June 24, 2016 © UN/NY View the announcement
Rome 27, 2016 © Prime Minister’s office
Secretary of State John Kerry met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Rome to discuss range of Regional and Intentional issues.
“We discussed everything that the Secretary spoke about, challenges in the region from ISIL, East, West, South. We discussed not only American-Israeli security cooperation, but security cooperation in a larger regional context. We discussed how we could advance a process with the Palestinians, difficult though it may be. We discussed regional implications for stabilizing the Middle East, moving it to a place where it would be less convulsive. And we discussed some bilateral issues between us. This was a far-ranging discussion that I think was meant to bring us both in a common direction for common purposes and I found it very valuable. Thank you.” elaborated Prime Minister Netanyahu 27, 2016 © Department of State
“We had a very productive conversation and we talked at some length about ways in which we might be able to try to work to move things in a more positive direction.” “And of course, finally, we talked about Brexit – impossible not to – and how that might or might not affect all economies.” stated Secretary Kerry and continued: “Most importantly, Israel is, as everybody knows and we reiterate again and again, a critical ally and friend of the United States ” June 27, 2016 © Department of State
Deputy Director of EUROPOL, Operations Department Mr Wil van Gemert 2016 © EUROPOL
Q: In the recent years, EUROPOL and the U.S Law-Enforcement Agencies have been expanding their strategic cooperation by signing numbers of new agreements on various issues from Cyber Crime to Counter-Terrorism, that could enable both sides to work more effectively to tackle the un-foreseen challenges of 21 century.
Mr Wil van Gemert, Deputy Director of EUROPOL: The US is by far the most important partner of Europol, and especially in the fight against cybercrime. Both in the field of online child sexual exploitation and cyber-attacks, the FBI, the US Secret Services and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement are making invaluable contributions to EU efforts to arrest criminals. Because both the EU and the US face common threats from terrorism and organised crime, transnational law enforcement cooperation is particularly important to enhance the security of citizens, and even more necessary when it comes to fight against borderless crimes, namely cybercrimes. Indeed, cooperating for more than 11 years, Europol and the US recently agreed on joining efforts to counter foreign fighters and to combat illegal immigration, especially as exploited by organised crime groups. Europol cooperation initiatives with non-EU countries and international organisations are crucial to exchange strategic and technical information, such as trends and developments in the methods used to commit offences or new methods of criminal intelligence analysis. Every year, Europol supports approximately 500 cases involving US authorities and joint operations lead to the arrest of top targets on both sides of the Atlantic. Europol’s cooperation with US authorities has reached an unprecedented level. Europol is now perceived as an efficient and reliable point of contact in many key crime areas in Europe and US authorities see Europol as an instrument to maximise their engagement with investigators in the Member States.
24 June 2016 © UK Foreign Office
Statement by President Obama on the outcome of the UK referendum:
“The people of the United Kingdom have spoken, and we respect their decision. The special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is enduring, and the United Kingdom’s membership in NATO remains a vital cornerstone of U.S. foreign, security, and economic policy. So too is our relationship with the European Union,” June 24, 2016 @ The White House
Statement by Prime Minister Rutte of the Netherlands on the outcome of UK referendum:
“The result of the UK referendum is disappointing. We must now look for stable solutions, calmly, and one step at a time. It is important to ensure stability. We are in the process of reforming the European Union. This result is an incentive to carry on with that reform and work hard for more prosperity, more jobs and more security. Particularly for a country like the Netherlands, cooperation is of vital importance.” June 24, 2016 © MFA of the Netherlands
Statement by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on the outcome of the referendum in UK:
“The British people have decided to leave the European Union. As it defines the next chapter in its relationship with the EU, I know that the United Kingdom’s position in NATO will remain unchanged. The UK will remain a strong and committed NATO Ally, and will continue to play its leading role in our Alliance” June 24, 2016 © NATO
Dear Readers, from our side we don’t have any words to add except ‘We are devastated by this out come as we see it, how in a broader context it would affect unfortunately– the entire Europe not only the United Kingdom. (the Editor)
US-Europe World Affairs 