U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker arrive for a meeting at EU Commission headquarters in Brussels
ADVERTISEMENTNancy Pelosi held a news conference with other members of US Congress in Brussels after the NATO Parliamentary Assembly where she met with members of the Belgian government and officials from the European Union.
Pelosi, along with the biggest bipartisan US delegation to visit the European Union, stood united in Brussels on Tuesday with a parting message for US President Donald Trump: the US now more than ever needs NATO and the European Union.
The US Speaker of the House thanked the EU and said friendships between the two camps are “much more important than ever”, after meeting EU Commission President Jean Claude Juncker and EU officials.
“Now more than ever we need NATO as we go forward because the challenges are more complicated than a bipolar relationship with the Soviet Union...it’s now much more diverse and the friendships with have much more important,” Pelosi said.
Cyber security, money laundering and human exploitation are new threats for America and the EU, she added.
The speaker, often at loggerheads with Trump, said there was “no difference” between Republican and Democrat vision on NATO, and stressed the need for future unity with the western alliance and “deepening commitment” to a military coalition.
A delegation of Democrats and Republicans joined Pelosi to celebrate the 70th anniversary of NATO and the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
“The Atlantic Alliance is strong and doing well and we all feel very strongly about it. In family there are ups and downs and disagreements, but we are of the same family and share the same world view” said House of Representatives foreign affairs committee chairman Eliot L Engel.
“The future of America and Europe is intertwined, and we’ll do everything we can to make sure that future is a very bright one,” he added.
US officials thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for uniting the two camps and urged collaboration against Russian and Chinese security threats.
Trump has provoked tensions with European allies in recent months, asking NATO members to contribute more to the military coalition’s budget.
His administration has openly criticised EU member states while opening a rift with allies after pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal pact.