Lisbon, Jan. 16, 2021 (Lusa) - The European Union expects Biden's administration to participate in the European Council of Ministers during the Portuguese presidency and ensures that it has not received any complaint from Washington about the conclusion of the EU-China investment agreement.
"During the Portuguese presidency, we expect the secretaries of state, defence and foreign affairs to participate in our councils. And here in Portugal, we will have the opportunity to receive them at our councils", the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said in an interview with Lusa on Friday in the sidelines of the visit of the College of Commissioners to Lisbon as part of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Asked about the recent agreement in principle on an investment pact with China, weeks after Biden proposed a transatlantic dialogue on "the strategic challenge" posed by China, the EU's high representative for foreign policy said he had no complaints from the transition team.
"I have heard nothing about what has been misinterpreted, some commentators say. I have no record of it," he said.
"But I see no reason why it should be misinterpreted. We have been negotiating an agreement for seven years and the German presidency achieved it under the conditions we have long been asking for in terms of balance in economic relations, the treatment of our companies in China, so I don't see why it should pose any problems for anyone," he said.
At a time when the EU is multiplying its statements on the opportunity that the election of Biden creates for a relaunch of the transatlantic relationship, Borrell said that Brussels has not initiated any process of dialogue and is awaiting the inauguration and ratification by the US Congress of the new administration.
"The president has not yet been sworn in and the posts he will appoint have not yet been examined in the House of Representatives and Senate. It seems prudent not to start working with them until then and we do not want to do so out of respect for the process", he said.
MDR/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
Este conteúdo é protegido por Direitos de Autor e Direitos Conexos e Direitos de Propriedade Industrial ao abrigo das leis portuguesas e da União Europeia, não podendo ser utilizado fora das condições admitidas no mesmo. É expressamente proibido copiar, reproduzir, modificar, exibir, transmitir ou divulgar, por qualquer forma ou para qualquer fim os conteúdos deste site, sem prévia e devida autorização da LUSA.