US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at EU Ambassadors' Luncheon

Secretary of State Rice recently spoke at the EU Ambassadors' Luncheon at the Embassy of Finland. Topics covered included the current developments of and challenges facing United States foreign policy.

United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke at the EU Ambassadors' Luncheon on December 18, 2006. The luncheon took place at the Embassy of Finland in Washington, D.C. where Secretary Rice discussed the current developments of and challenges facing United States foreign policy, including the view from a transatlantic perspective.

European and United States actions in the framework of EU and NATO cooperation mechanisms are important to facing increasingly complex challenges, said Rice.Transatlantic cooperation has been efficient and successful on various fronts in promoting peace and democracy around the world, she said.

Topics addressed at the meeting ranged from the challenges of the broader Middle East, including Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and the Israel-Palestine situation, to European enlargement, Turkey, challenges of the Western Balkans, Russia, as well as the frozen conflicts. The interrelationship of energy security, economic growth and climate change were also discussed.