VIENNA (dpa-AFX) - The stage is set for a European Union-United States Summit in Washington DC on Monday, with the focus on the global economic situation and the strengthening of the transatlantic partnership.
President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other officials represent the U.S. at the summit.
The EU delegation include Herman Van Rompuy and José Manuel Barroso, Presidents respectively of the European Council and European Commission, Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton and Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht.
The leaders are expected to discuss the EU and U.S. responses to the crisis and how to support growth and job creation. They will also debate on global challenges such as climate change and energy and development cooperation. A range of foreign policy issues, including the Arab Spring, Iran, Syria, the Middle East peace process and Afghanistan, as well as the EU's Eastern neighborhood will also be addressed.
An EU-U.S. Energy Council will also take place on the sidelines of the summit, while the Transatlantic Economic Council and the EU-U.S. Development Dialogue are scheduled for Tuesday.
Before his departure to the United States, Van Rompuy said he looked forward to discussing the state of the global economy, including the European sovereign debt crisis, with President Obama. 'We, the EU and the United States, have the strongest trade and economic relationship in the world and remain partners of first resort. We will both need to take action to address the near-term growth concerns as well as fiscal and financial vulnerabilities. Together, we will also look for ways to use our very strong economic ties for creating growth and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic,' he added.
Barroso said: 'With the world economy going through times of uncertainty and major changes occurring in the international system, the transatlantic relation is more relevant than ever.' He said he would discuss with Obama 'how to face today's challenges in a concerted manner. We are each other's strategic partners and staunch allies. We need to work together to ensure long-lasting, and balanced growth worldwide. We need also to develop a Transatlantic agenda to growth and jobs. Deepening the transatlantic economic relationship - the most relevant and integrated in the world - is part of the answer to create more and better jobs,' he added.
Barroso said 'today's globalized world was not just about economy but also about values and standards. In this sense we will also be discussing how to increase our international cooperation and build a stronger and fairer rules based system.'
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