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The Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, headed by Assistant Secretary Philip H. Gordon, implements U.S. foreign policy in Europe and Eurasia. The Bureau promotes U.S. interests in the region on issues such as national security, NATO enlargement, coordination with the European Union and other regional organizations, support for democracy, human rights, civil society, economic prosperity, the war on terrorism, and nonproliferation.
Travel to Germany, Bulgaria, and Ukraine
On February 3-5, Assistant Secretary Gordon traveled with Secretary Clinton to Germany and Bulgaria. Assistant Secretary Gordon continued on to Kyiv, Ukraine, February 6, to meet with senior Ukrainian officials and opposition leaders and continue our strategic dialogue on issues of mutual concern, including Ukraine’s integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions, cooperation on non-proliferation, energy security, economic reform, and advancement of democracy and human rights. The Assistant Secretary also met with civil society leaders.Trip Page»
Travel to Germany, Lithuania, and Denmark
Assistant Secretary Gordon traveled to Germany, Lithuania, and Denmark, from January 10-14. In Berlin, Germany, he met with senior German government officials and held a discussion on U.S. and European engagement on global issues at the Korber Foundation. He then traveled to Vilnius, Lithuania, to attend the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry’s annual Snow Meeting on Euro-Atlantic security issues and met with high-level Lithuanian and other Baltic government officials. In Copenhagen, Denmark, Assistant Secretary Gordon met with European Union Political Directors and held discussions with senior Danish government officials. Trip Page»
U.S. Defense Strategy Review and Europe
Assistant Secretary Gordon (Jan. 9): "The transatlantic relationship remains an essential source of stability in an unpredictable world, and Europe is our principal partner in promoting global and economic security. And so the strategy outlined last week reaffirms our commitment to European security and will ensure our continued ability to meet our Article 5 commitments, and also to enhance our cooperation in interoperability with our European partners on global challenges. If you look around the world and see where America is operating globally, you will see in so many cases how closely and importantly we work with our European allies and partners." Full Text» Report»
The State of Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Russia: U.S. Policy Options
Assistant Secretary Gordon (Dec. 14): "As President Obama said in July 2009, “Americans and Russians have a common interest in the development of rule of law, the strengthening of democracy, and the protection of human rights.” There are real challenges in these areas, as you well know. And there are not always easy solutions. But we believe that our policy is guided by clear principles that enable us to have an effective working relationship with Russia’s government and civil society on a wide range of important foreign and domestic policy concerns." Full Text» Press Gaggle»
Travel to Europe
Secretary Clinton (Dec. 5): "At the NATO Summit in Lisbon, we agreed to a plan for our security transition that will be completed in 2014. Today in Bonn, we took the next step by setting out a blueprint for a post-transition Afghanistan, a roadmap for what we are calling a decade of transformation. ...So the United States is prepared to stand with the Afghan people, but Afghans themselves must also meet the commitments they have made, and we look forward to working with them to embrace reform, lead their own defense, and strengthen their democracy." Full Text» Trip Page»
The U.S.-EU Summit
President Obama (Nov. 28): "We’ve seen the incredible transformations that have been taking place throughout North Africa and the Middle East. What hasn’t changed, though, is the fundamental bonds that exist between the European Union and the United States. Our common values, our common belief in the rule of law, in democracy, in freedom, in a free market system -- all those things bind us together, as do the extraordinary economic and commercial relationships that we have and the people-to-people relationships that we have. And so this is an extraordinarily important relationship." Full Text» Joint Statement» Ambassador Kennard's Remarks» More»
The State of Affairs in the Balkans
Assistant Secretary Gordon (Nov. 15): "The western Balkans is a critical part of Europe—historically, geographically and culturally. It is impossible to speak of a Europe that is whole, free, democratic, and at peace without having resolved unfinished business in this region. Our clear policy goal is the integration of these countries into Euro-Atlantic institutions. As we have seen in the rest of Europe, this is the best means of ensuring long-term peace, stability and prosperity." Full Text» Press Gaggle»
Remarks at the EU Washington Forum
Assistant Secretary Gordon (Oct. 27): "As President Obama has also said, Europe and our European Alliance is the cornerstone of our engagement with the rest of the world. We know we need strong partners and when we look around the world and ask where those strong partners might be to help us tackle these challenges, Europe is almost always at the top of the list." Full Text»
The Transatlantic Trends 2011
Assistant Secretary Gordon (Sept. 14): "Overall I would say that we’re encouraged by the numbers that we see in this polling. I think it confirms over the three years of the Obama administration consistent and strong support by Europeans for the President’s handling of international affairs. You look at the numbers -- 83 percent, 78 percent, 75 -- that is consistent and it’s consistently very high, as is the desire for U.S. leadership in the world by Europeans. To me that is a reflection of and maybe even in some ways a reward for the President’s approach to the relationship with Europeans." Full Text»
Travel to Poland and Spain
Assistant Secretary Gordon traveled to Poland and Spain from July 7-12. In Poland he participated in the informal meeting of European Union Political Directors. On July 8, in Warsaw, he met with senior Polish government officials. Assistant Secretary Gordon traveled to Madrid, Spain, July 10-12, where he met with senior Spanish government officials and political leaders. Full Text»
Travel to the Western Balkans
Assistant Secretary Gordon traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, and Croatia June 13-17 to underscore the support of the United States for all the countries of the Western Balkans as they build prosperous, peaceful, and democratic societies on their way toward their rightful places as full members of the European and Euro-Atlantic community. More»
Administration Priorities for Europe in the 112th Congress
Assistant Secretary Gordon (May 18): "In 1989, Europe changed suddenly and immeasurably. Because of those events and because of the wise bipartisan policies in the years that followed, Europe, and our relationship with Europe, has changed vastly in the last twenty years. In those days, the major preoccupation in the transatlantic relationship was the defense of Europe against the Soviet threat. Today, Europe is almost fully democratic, largely unified, and is America’s essential global partner." Full Text»
NATO's Berlin Ministerial
Assistant Secretary Gordon (Apr. 18): "In Berlin, on the 14th and 15th in April, the Secretary, Secretary Clinton, participated in a NATO ministerial that was an opportunity to consult with key allies and partners not just on Libya, but on a wide range of other bilateral and multilateral issues. The NATO ministerial included sessions on Libya, on Afghanistan, where ISAF – all of the ISAF partners joined NATO members, NATO’s deterrence and defense posture review, NATO’s partnership’s in general, and specifically the NATO-Russia Council, the NATO-Georgia Commission, and the NATO-Ukraine Commission, so it was a busy couple of days." Full Text» FPC Briefing» Secretary Clinton's Travel»
Overview of U.S. Relations with Europe and Eurasia
Assistant Secretary Gordon (Mar. 10): "Today, Europe is almost fully democratic, largely unified, and is America's most important global partner. The U.S. and Europe work together on an extraordinarily wide range of issues, from Afghanistan to Iran to the tumultuous events in North Africa and the Middle East." Full Text»
Travel to Bulgaria, Greece, and Slovakia
Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip H. Gordon traveled to Bulgaria, Greece, and Slovakia from February 28 to March 4. In Sofia, Bulgaria, he met senior Bulgarian government officials to discuss bilateral issues. He then traveled to Athens, Greece, on March 2 to meet with senior Greek government officials and political leaders. Assistant Secretary Gordon concluded his trip in Bratislava, Slovakia. On March 3, he delivered a keynote address on the U.S.-Central European relationship at the annual Slovak government-hosted GLOBSEC security conference. Assistant Secretary Gordon also held bilateral discussions with senior Slovak government officials as well as with key officials from other states in the region who participated in the conference. More»
Travel to Cyprus
Assistant Secretary Gordon traveled to Nicosia, Cyprus, on January 19-21, where he met with President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervish Eroglu and their advisors. He also met with the UN Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alexander Downer. More»
Travel to Hungary
Assistant Secretary Gordon traveled to Budapest, Hungary, on January 12-14, where he met with EU political directors and held bilateral meetings with Hungarian officials. He also met with representatives of non-governmental associations and civil society groups, and delivered remarks at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs in Budapest on U.S.-EU relations. More»
U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission
Recognizing the need to make a fresh start in relations between the U.S. and Russia, President Medvedev and President Obama created the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission to improve coordination between our countries to address shared challenges and to explore new opportunities for partnership in areas of mutual interest. Learn More»
For speaking and interview requests on European and Eurasian Affairs, please fax your request to the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs' Office of Press and Policy Outreach at 202-647-5116.
