US-France Bilateral Dialogue

CSIS hosted U.S. and French foreign and security policy leaders in an off the record bilateral dialogue on U.S.-French relations from April 16-18, 2009. Following the inaguration of President Obama in January 2009 and the conclusion of the French presidency of the EU in the second half of 2008, the timing of this year's U.S.-France Bilateral Dialogue was especially relevant for taking stock of the U.S.-France relationship. The program dedicated substantial time to looking at the broader state of the transatlantic relationship framed in the context of a number of key global issues. Panels addressed a host of topics including the geopolitical consequences of the financial crisis, the future of U.S.-EU relations with Russia, and the challenges of stabilizing the broader Middle East. Despite occassional and inevitable differences over issues of process and substance, overlapping interests and shared values make the United States and Europe one another's partners of choice. Neither can solve the daunting list of global challenges alone, but the development of common or complementary transatlantic policies and capabilities make for a mutually beneficial enhancement of their ability to shape the world. This event offered a forum for candid dialogue, enabling preeminent American and French policymakers to debate and assess how the new alignments of political leadership affect prospects for effective cooperation or coordination on the most important global challenges.
 

2009 US-France Bilateral Dialogue Proceedings