Mr President, Madam President-in-Office of the Council, Vice-President of the Commission, ever since the end of the Second World War the transatlantic relationship has been of crucial importance. It has proved essential for peace and stability in Europe and the wider world. I understand President Bush will be attending the Gothenburg Summit. Together with my group I hope Mr Bush will be made aware that obviously, we believe our relationship should be one of equals. Our dialogue must be frank and sincere. We need not be brutal, but we do have to make our concerns clear, as they have been outlined in both speeches. In a world where globalisation in constantly increasing, it is worrying that the Bush Administration is glorying in unilateralism. The first sign of this was the United States’ decision not to ratify the Kyoto Agreement on climate change. There have been other more recent moves such as the threat made by the United States to withdraw from the OECDs common actions regarding tax havens. In our view, this type of policy runs counter to the quest for a stable and secure international order. Secondly, I also believe that we must convey our disquiet at the level of unilateralism currently demonstrated with regard to certain issues which concern us both. These include the peace process in the Middle East, and also the way in which America has put the brakes on the process of detente between North and South Korea. I would like to comment on the missile defence shield plan, a product of the Star Wars programme. This is extremely worrying as it could affect our security. I think that we must tell our American colleagues quite clearly that the way to increase global security is to combat poverty and combat instability in poor countries. We must not build new barriers between the rich and the poor. The creation of a missile defence shield will only lead to an increase in the number of missiles. This would go against all the efforts made since the ABM Treaty to reduce the number of missiles in the world. There is also another issue we feel we should discuss with our United States’ allies. We believe we should act together in relation to the UN, not adopt unilateral measures. In the specific case of the Human Rights Commission, we should start from the premise that all countries stand for election. Sometimes one is chosen, sometimes another. There is no scope for the introduction of retaliatory measures such as the suspension of a debt which has already expired and been unilaterally reduced. Lastly, I would like to say that a fortnight ago I had the opportunity of leading a visit by my group to Congress in Washington. We feel we need to make direct contact, regardless of what we are told. It was a very positive visit; we were able to address the House of Representatives’ Sub-Committee on European Affairs. The dialogue was as it should be: frank, direct and sometimes tough. Nonetheless, we believe that this should become part of our future. I would therefore like to conclude saying that my group regrets that at the eleventh hour the authorities in the United States have been unable to confirm a meeting that is important both for establishing and for maintaining mutual trust. This affects you, Mr President, as rapporteur for the Echelon Committee.

Political group: PSE