The election of Barack Obama has raised major expectations in Europe and opened up new opportunities for dealing with global challenges. Authored by leading experts from both sides of the Atlantic, this book provides an authoritative analysis of the most topical issues facing the European Union and the United States' agendas of today. The volume addresses some global questions - multilateralism, the economy, disarmament and climate change - as well as key regional issues, including Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, Africa and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The book concludes that it is imperative that Europeans and Americans seize 'the Obama moment' in order to capitalise on the urgency of acting now. They will also need to move to a new paradigm of the EU-US relationship and NATO's role within it - one that takes account of the fact that the West needs 'the Rest' to deal with the most pressing issues of our time.
‘This book is an important contribution to the debate on how we can renew our Transatlantic Partnership for a new age. As we grapple with pressing global problems … it is vital that Europeans and Americans continue to pull in the same direction. This book lays out the challenges and choices we face. It deserves to be widely read.’
Javier Solana, High Representative for the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy
‘A timely contribution to the much-needed dialogue regarding transatlantic relations. Both sides need to understand each other better and this volume helps its readers understand the causes of discord and the key issues to be addressed.’
Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor to President Carter
‘The EUISS Transatlantic Book 2009 is a valuable contribution on a crucially important and most timely subject. Altogether, it does much to facilitate US-European cooperative efforts in very constructive ways.’
David A. Hamburg, President Emeritus, Carnegie Corporation of New York
EU and US Russia policies have different main drivers. In his chapter on this topic, Andrew Kuchins writes that in their conduct of policy towards Russia the United States are principally driven by three goals: (i) the heightened urgency of resolving the Iranian nuclear question; (ii) the need for additional transport routes into Afghanistan to support a larger US military presence; and (iii) a return to a more multilateral approach to ensuring nuclear security and strengthening the nonproliferation regime.
This preparatory seminar for the EU-Washington Forum 2010 took place at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC on 20 September 2010. The main talking points of the seminar included the role of innovation in 'smart economies', new skills for new jobs and the implications for transatlantic cooperation.
Articles in this current issue: "After Lisbon: the States of the Union", "The EU and natural gas: the new security agenda", and "Obama's first year: a transformational presidency?"
‘The Obama Moment’ was launched in Brussels on 20 January 2010, the first anniversary of US President Barack Obama’s inauguration. This latest EUISS book addresses the prospects for EU-US relations during the Obama era and provides an authoritative analysis of the most topical global questions of our time.
