Brussels, 04/05/2021 – 14:20
On 4 May, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, met with the Secretary of State of the United States of America, Antony Blinken, in London, in the margins of the G7 Ministerial.
The meeting was an opportunity to discuss on a bilateral basis some of the most urgent foreign and security challenges ahead, which were also the subject of discussion among G7 Foreign Ministers in their two-day meeting. High Representative/Vice-President Borrell and Secretary Blinken addressed the latest developments in the ongoing discussions on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – the Iran nuclear deal – in view of a possible return of the United States to the JCPOA and how to ensure the full and effective implementation of the JCPOA.
They also discussed relations with Russia in light of Russia’s recent military build-up in illegally-annexed Crimea and on the border with Ukraine, the health of Alexei Navalny, and Russia’s actions against EU Member States and sanctions against EU citizens.
High Representative Borrell and Secretary Blinken also discussed the situation in Afghanistan in light of recent US policy decisions, as well as relations with China. The High Representative also raised concern over the increasing instability in Colombia and the need to move forward on the implementation of the peace agreement.
The upcoming EU-US Summit in Brussels in June will provide further momentum in the EU-US relationship.