The Spanish Presidency will continue to work to strengthen transatlantic relations

Transatlantic relations are a priority for the Spanish Presidency and Europe will continue to work with the US to strengthen these ties, said the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, after receiving confirmation that President Barack Obama would not be travelling to Europe this spring to attend the annual EU-US summit.

The summit was initially scheduled to be held in May in Madrid. The previous EU-US summit was held in Washington on 3 November 2009 under the Swedish Presidency.

“We have just been informed of this decision”, said the Spanish Minister at a press briefing in Jerusalem, “but we understand that President Obama's agenda at this time will not permit him to travel to Europe as he was hoping”.

Minister Moratinos assured the press that “the Spanish Presidency, the full-time President of the EU Council Herman Van Rompuy and all European institutions will continue to work with the American administration to strengthen transatlantic relations, which remain one of the priority objectives of the Spanish Presidency”.

After confirming that President Obama would not attend the summit, the US Secretary of State for Europe, Phillip Gordon, said that US “remains deeply committed to the European Union and is very interested in expanding its relations with the EU following the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon”. However, he said that the US President “has a very full agenda this year and this limits the amount he can travel”.

President Obama travelled to Europe six times last year and participated in the extraordinary European Summit in Prague last April.