John B. Emerson, Berlin

The leadership role of transatlantic partners

(BSC/Ambassador John B. Emerson*) Complex global crossthe UN charter are unachievable or out of date – a legacy

currents of conflict and crisis, trade and commerce, technoloof a postwar era not suited to our own.” Does it make more

gy and innovation, ethnicity and religion impact, and connect, sense, he asked, to adhere to a belief that “power is a zero

countries around the world; but in terms of diplomacy, there is sum game; that might makes right; that strong states impose

a commonality that transatlantic partners share. In the second their will on weaker ones; that the rights of individuals don’t

half of the 20 th century, the United States and its European matter?” Of course not; and the President then called for the

allies set an example for the world. Together we worked to promote the basic tenets of freedom and democracy. That constructive, cooperative, and comprehensive commitment of the transatlantic partners to diplomacy is vital today – a diplomacy that balances both interests and values; a diplomacy that addresses present crises while maintaining a reliable, rules-based international order; and a diplomacy that does not simply accept the current state of affairs, but also tries to shape a more peaceful, prosperous, and just world.

In his remarks to the UN General Assembly this year, President Obama discussed with fellow leaders how to respond appropriately to the urgent challenges the world faces. “There are those,” he said, “who argue that the ideals enshrined in kind of leadership that is “strong enough to recognize that nations share common interests and people share a common humanity.”

In the past, we have seen how this concept has worked; and over the course of just the past two years, we have seen it at work today. Transatlantic and other partners have responded, in a coordinated and responsible fashion, to a series of complex global challenges – many of which did not even exist when I arrived in Berlin as the U.S. Ambassador in the summer of 2013.

Think about it: the Russian aggression in the Ukraine that challenges the rule of law that has been a hallmark of the post-Cold War world; terrorism in the Mid-East that has metastasized throughout northern Africa and Europe; the return of the Taliban in certain parts of Afghanistan, a country that values its transition to a free society where women now have the right to vote and girls have the opportunity to be educated; the threat of Ebola; the financial crisis in Greece; and the increasing tragedy of refugees and displaced persons in places like Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, and elsewhere. Transatlantic partners embraced major leadership roles in every one of these cases, using diplomacy as our first and preferred tool. Yet in certain situations, wisdom dictates that we require intelligence and even military capabilities. New, multi-faceted security challenges mean we have more work to do; while at the same time, we confront conflicting budget priorities. We must work together, through NATO, to leverage each other’s strengths “We must work together, through NATO, to leverage each other‘s strengths and capabilities.” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s statements before their meeting in Berlin, October 22, 2015

Photo: U.S. Department of State

and capabilities. Shared intelligence collaboration is essential to combating terrorism and keeping an eye on returning foreign fighters. It is also vital to understanding what is really happening on the ground in places like Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, and northern Africa. We must also address how cyber warfare threatens our financial systems and businesses, our government institutions, our air traffic and transportation grids, as well as our privacy rights, and ultimately, our national security. In addition, we dare not forget the importance of economic cooperation. T-TIP, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement, represents a commonsense extension of ideas that were put in practice in the early postwar years. Back then, leaders in the United States and Europe formed a partnership based on the premise that if Europe prospers, so does America – and vice versa. That logic of a mutually beneficial partnership continues to make eminent sense.

Ultimately, the concept of leadership that President Obama discussed at the UN is not about one country leading and others following. It does not mean shouldering the burden alone. Leadership means building partnerships, based on principles of responsibility, respect, and mutual interest. It means being willing to make politically tough decisions, and standing up for them both at home and abroad – even when they may be politically unpopular – whether it is implementing a long-sought deal with Iran; pressing for a negotiated political transition in Syria; working to keep Greece in the Eurozone; completing the work on a major trade agreement; sacrificing short-term economic gains in the battle against climate change; or welcoming a stream of refugees escaping war-torn areas.

Transatlantic partners are closely linked by a legacy of hardearned freedom and an extraordinary spirit of cooperation, a spirit defined by the principles of responsible and forward-looking leadership. Together we strive to make the complex world in which we live a bit more peaceful, more just, and more prosperous. The measure of our success will be determined by our ability to live up to the strength of our ideals.

*John B. Emerson, Ambassador of the United States of America to the Federal Republic of Germany