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Bush Visit to Vienna in June To Focus on U.S.-EU Issues

State's Volker says economic, energy issues on agenda

When President Bush attends the U.S.-European Union (EU) Summit June 21 in Vienna, Austria, he likely will discuss the renewed partnership with Europe along with economic and energy issues in advance of the July Group of Eight (G8) Summit in Russia, a U.S. diplomat says.

The president, in his second term, has placed a renewed emphasis on U.S.-Europe relations, focusing on three broad areas of partnership - advancing democracy, security and prosperity, said the State Department's Kurt Volker.

In the president's first term, U.S. officials emphasized working with Europe to fight militant terrorism using "financial, law enforcement, intelligence and even military" methods, Volker said May 11 at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna.

"But only in time did we come to understand more fully the implications of combating an ideology of violence with a positive vision of freedom, democracy and opportunity," said Volker, who is principal deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs.

"To succeed in this broader intellectual challenge, it is critical that the principal pillars of the democratic community speak with a common voice," Volker said.

The White House on May 3 announced Bush's visit to the U.S.-EU Summit in Austria, scheduled for June 21. Austria holds the rotating European Council presidency during the first half of 2006.

"This trip will underscore the importance of our relationship with the European Union and will provide an opportunity for the president to discuss our transatlantic agenda," according to a White House statement.

The EU meeting also takes place just weeks ahead of the G8 Summit scheduled for July 15-17 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Volker told the Diplomatic Academy that the president's trip to Vienna will provide an opportunity to discuss energy and economic issues that will also be addressed in St. Petersburg less than four weeks later. The G8 is composed of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, the United States and Russia.

"Especially in the wake of the New Year's energy cut-offs in Ukraine and the Caucasus, we have intensely discussed energy security issues with the European Union," Volker said.

"We have broad agreement on approaches to diversifying suppliers and sources, market integration, boosting new technologies and promoting efficiency," Volker said. "We are working together to encourage Russia to embrace this approach, and I anticipate that this will be an important topic at the U.S.-EU Summit, occurring just weeks ahead of the St. Petersburg G8 Summit."

Source: U.S. Department of State