Article published in the daily newspaper "Postimees" on May 3, 2004

U.S. Welcomes New EU Members as Partners for Democracy

U.S. Ambassador Joseph DeThomas

The vision of a strong, free and prosperous Europe -- founded upon "a common market, common objectives and common institutions" -- is taking a major stride forward on May 1 with the accession of ten new member nations to the European Union.

The United States fully supports this latest EU enlargement, just as in 1951 we welcomed the creation of the six-member European Coal and Steel Community, the precursor to the modern European Union.

We applaud the aspirations of Estonia, as well as Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia, to take your rightful places as full members of the Euro-Atlantic community of democracies. Embracing these new members attests to the European Union's institutional confidence in itself and to the essential role that it plays as a force for democracy, stability, and prosperity throughout Europe and beyond.

The EU and the U.S. share the largest two-way trade and investment relationship in the world, creating jobs and boosting economic growth on both sides of the Atlantic. For the most part, all this takes place without headlines, without rancor, without dispute.

If our partnership ended there, it would still present an impressive feat. Yet we have committed ourselves to a broader purpose.

Together, we are working to combat the threat of international terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. Together, we are promoting democratic development and stability in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and the Middle East. Together, we are leading the effort to liberalize global trade and eliminate the barriers to trade. And together, we are seeking a cleaner environment and enhanced energy supplies through joint research on a hydrogen economy.

A larger EU means more partners to strengthen the trans-Atlantic relationship. A larger EU means an enhanced partnership to carry out our responsibilities to extend to others the benefits of democracy and respect for human rights.

The United States looks forward to continuing strong bilateral relations with all members of the European Union family. And those who say that new members must decide between loyalty to Europe or loyalty to the U.S. are posing a false choice. As President Bush said, these countries have not come all this way - through tyranny and brave uprisings - only to be told that they must now choose between Europe and America. One can be a good European and support a strong transatlantic relationship.

For more than 50 years, the ties between the United States and our allies and friends in Europe have been the sinews of democracy, security, and prosperity in the trans-Atlantic region. They are the stuff with which the vision of a Europe whole, free, and at peace is being built.

As we reach out together to tackle some of the most challenging issues of the day, these ties will be tested and stretched. The problems we confront are complex, and it would be remarkable if we did not disagree from time to time. Democratic consensus, by definition, requires honest, open, and rigorous debate.

Partnership is not about deferring to others. It is about working with them. And when disagreements develop, as they surely will among partners, we must address them quickly and honestly. They must never be allowed to distract us from our shared responsibilities to the world. The issues are too important; the stakes are too high.

Let us never forget that European unity was forged over decades. This moment could only take place today because transatlantic security links stood firm against a series of challenges. And, we have to remind ourselves that while most of Europe has mastered the art of peaceful reconciliation of differences between democracies, Europe exists in a world where oppression and violence are very real, and freedom and security still need defenders. Both the U.S. and the EU have also shared the view that the benefits of freedom and prosperity are not the exclusive property of a privileged few in the West. This enlargement is testimony to that, but it cannot be the final chapter in the story of the expansion of human freedom.

The original European Community was about more than coal and steel. It was about a broader and deeper relationship among people long divided by bloody conflict. It was about recovery and cooperation and shared destinies.

Ours is a partnership of more than half a century, a partnership based upon a common vision of political and economic freedom for our people and the people of the world, and that is why we continue to work in common purpose toward this goal.

Today, our shared efforts open unprecedented opportunities to help better the lives of millions of people on every continent.

The U.S.-European Union partnership is about making absolutely real a hopeful vision of the world of the future -- a world free from the grip of fear and misery, a prosperous and peaceful world where the democratic values we all cherish can thrive.