'We Have To do It Together'

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The face of the European Union's nascent common foreign policy is High Representative Javier Solana, the former NATO Secretary-General. Before heading off to Macedonia for more troubleshooting last Friday, he spoke about transatlantic relations with Brussels bureau chief James Graff

Time: The Bush Administration has shown contempt for the Kyoto environment accord, the OECD effort to curb tax havens, the abm treaty and the biological weapons deal. Are there perils in this approach?
Solana: It is impossible for the U.S. to abandon its responsibilities. I am sure it will continue to engage in a good tone with the Europeans. In the coming week these things will become clear.

Time: But Europe does have real concerns about the U.S. stance on the abm treaty, for instance.
Solana: We want to talk about all the questions related to deterrence in the 21st century. We have to talk about the Kyoto Protocol, that is very important for the Europeans. We have some questions pertaining to trade, European defense and security identity, but all those can be solved through dialogue. I'm sure we'll find a good wavelength to continue working together.

Time: Do you think the Americans take the European Union seriously enough as an actor in world affairs?
Solana: I think they'd better do so. The E.U. is getting more profound as a political entity. We're moving into a common foreign policy, developing capacity for common crisis management. We're going to have a common currency next year in the pockets of all citizens. Therefore there's no question that we're going to play a role in international affairs. We do already. But we would like to do it in a solid and constructive relationship with the United States.

Time: Can E.U. member states create a functioning European rapid reaction force by 2003 as planned?
Solana: My information is that 11 member states are going to increase their defense budgets this year. But Europe's contribution to security isn't only through defense budgets. Enlarging the E.U. into the Central and Eastern European countries without any doubt has a very important element of stability.

Time: Do you see Europe increasingly defining itself in terms of values that are different from those of the U.S.?
Solana: We have values that we share profoundly, but there are elements where we disagree profoundly. For instance, it would be impossible for a country with the death penalty to be part of the E.U., and in the U.S. the death penalty exists in legislation and is defended by the government.

Time: Are ethical and cultural differences between the U.S. and Europe likely to become larger in the future?
Solana: I have no doubt that in this globalized world, where we have to cooperate in so many fields — to think about poverty, about terrible illnesses like aids — we have to do it together. We have responsibilities to citizens of the world who lack our standard of living.

Time: Some feel it is precisely in the area of global responsibility that the U.S. is falling short of the mark.
Solana: It is impossible for the U.S. not to assume responsibility in a larger dimension in the 21st century.

Time: Does the Bush Administration know that?
Solana: We are looking at just the beginning of a four-year term. There are still places in the structure of the Administration that haven't been filled. So it's very difficult to judge. They have a different style, which is normal. But look at the Middle East, look at the Balkans. They may not be engaged in the same manner, but there's no question that they will continue to be engaged. Even if they didn't want to, they'd have to.