This year has also seen a number of positive developments, including a “reset” in relations between two key players in the European security dialogue: Russia and the United States. The European Union has recently taken important steps towards greater cohesion and unity with the appointment of a President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs.
We should celebrate these achievements even as we recognize that serious problems remain to be resolved. There are different perspectives on how Europe’s security architecture should be designed, but we all agree on the urgent need to tackle this critical challenge through constructive dialogue.
It is in this spirit of cooperation and bridge-building that 56 foreign ministers – representing the US, Canada, and European countries, including the Russian Federation and the rest of the former Soviet Union – will meet in Athens on December 1-2 on my invitation to discuss the future of European security. The talks mark the continuation of the “Corfu Process,” anchored in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which began with an informal ministerial meeting on Corfu in June.
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