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Strategic dialogue between France and the United States

Versailles, 14 November 2004

The Center for Strategic & International Studies has just completed a two-day high-level seminar on the Franco-U.S relationship. Coming two weeks after the U.S. Presidential election, this seminar provided an important opportunity for senior U.S. and French strategic thinkers to engage in a dialogue on the common challenges that both countries face over the coming months and years.

Participants in the seminar addressed four principal topics:

* The future role of the Atlantic Alliance and its relationship with the emerging European defence and security policy
* Shared perceptions of the important role being played on the international scene by Russia, China, and India
* The search for peace and stability across the Middle East
* The threat of international terrorism

The group was welcomed by French Minister of Defense Michèle Alliot-Marie and was hosted for dinner at the Quai d'Orsay by French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier. U.S. participants included, among others, Dr. Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State; Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Adviser, Senator Patrick Leahy; Congressman Amo Houghton; Dr. John Hamre, former Deputy Secretary of Defense; Amb. Bob Blackwill, former Deputy National Security Adviser and U.S. Special Envoy to Iraq; Richard Danzig, former Secretary of the Navy; and Professor Simon Serfaty.

During the course of the seminar, they and senior former and current French officials and analysts, including former French Foreign Minister Hubert Védrine, former French Defense Minister Alain Richard, former Chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Xavier de Villepin and Senator Paul Girod Chairman of the Franco-American Caucus came to agreement on a number of basic principles. First among these is that the transatlantic alliance has a vital and continuing relevance in the new strategic environment that is characterized by complex and diffuse threats to our common security. In order for the alliance to work effectively in the future, however, both sides need to engage in a reinforced strategic dialogue on the underlying drivers of these new challenges and on potential common responses. CSIS will release shortly a more complete synopsis of initial conclusions from the seminar.

This first meeting of the U.S.-France Bilateral Dialogue was made possible thanks to the generous support of EADS. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2002, EADS generated revenues of € 29.9 billion and employed a workforce of more than 100,000. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the second largest missile producer in the global market. EADS is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, is the prime contractor for the Ariane launcher, develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is the largest industrial partner for the European satellite navigation system Galileo.

For further information, please contact the Admiral (CR) Bétermier
Admiral (CR) Bétermier
EADS
Tel.: +33 1 42 24 20 88
mailto: jean.betermier@eads.net