NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomes the U.S. Secretary of State, Anthony J. Blinken to Brussels, Belgium  Alliance headquarters Mar. 23, 2021. (credit: nato.int)

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken got together in Brussels today for a conversation on preserving and strengthening the Transatlantic bond that was nearly destroyed by the past Trump administration. Citing challenges such as terrorism, cyber-attacks and the rise of China, the Secretary General urged Allies to work closely together.  “No ally and no continent can deal with these challenges alone. We need Europe and North America together,”  Stoltenberg said. The event was moderated by Carnegie Europe Director Dr. Rosa Balfour and came ahead of the start of a two-day NATO ministerial meeting later in the day. 

Biden Administration Opens New chapter in  Relationship between North America and Europe 

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken arrives at NATO and is greeted by U.S. Mission to NATO Chargé d’Affaires ad Interim Douglas D. Jones and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, in Brussels, Belgium on March 23, 2021. [State Department photo by Ron Przysucha]

“I think we really now have a unique opportunity to strengthen our transatlantic bond, to open a new chapter in the relationship between North America and Europe. We have a new administration in the United States, President Biden has clearly conveyed a message about the need to rebuild Alliances, strengthening the bond between North America and Europe. We have the upcoming summit later on this year.”

-NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

U.S. Secretary of State Says NATO Alliance  a “Truly Remarkable Institution”

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken gives opening remarks at NATO in Brussels, Belgium on March 23, 2021. [State Department photo by Ron Przysucha]

U.S Secretary of State Antony  Blinken said it is easy to take the NATO Alliance for granted and forget how it is “a remarkable institution.”  Blinken stressed that is the last thing members of the 30-nation bloc can afford to do now.

“The main reason I’m here, and the President Biden asked us to be here this week, is to reaffirm strongly, the United States commitment to NATO, to this alliance, and to our partnerships, we’re determined to revitalise our alliances, to revitalise our partnerships, starting with NATO.  First, it is often easy to take good things for granted. And I think the last thing that we can afford to do now, is to take this Alliance for granted. We sometimes forget that it is a truly remarkable institution. A remarkable initiative bringing together now 30 countries covering almost a billion people on a voluntary basis. And we come together around shared values of democracy, freedom, openness, and a rules based international order to make sure that countries can move forward together peacefully. And I think what’s also remarkable about it, is that NATO is really not defined by what we’re against, but by what we’re for.”

-U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken