The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2014

FACT SHEET: U.S. Efforts in Support of NATO Allies and Partners

The United States has a solemn commitment to the collective defense of all NATO allies.  As has been true since we signed the Washington Treaty in 1949, we will respond if the security or territorial integrity of our allies is violated.  We also have built constructive security and defense cooperation with Ukraine and other members of NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) over the past two decades to help build a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace.

Russia’s aggressive actions have already led many to call for reinforcing NATO’s readiness through Article 5-related planning, training, and adjustments to force posture.  The United States took several immediate steps to demonstrate solidarity with our NATO allies, such as augmenting the Baltic Air Policing mission with the deployment of additional U.S. aircraft.  We also will take additional measures to enhance NATO military plans and defense capabilities.  We expect other allies will join us in these efforts.  These measures should include:

  • A demonstration of NATO’s visible resolve to ensure collective defense of all allied territory through enhanced deployment of air, land, and sea assets for training and exercises;
  • Continued review and updating of NATO plans for collective defense; and
  • Increased readiness and exercising of the NATO Response Force.

The President discussed these measures with NATO Secretary General Rasmussen on March 26, and we will continue to consult with allies, including at the upcoming April 1-2 Foreign Ministerial.  To date, we and NATO have undertaken the following specific efforts:

New U.S. Measures

  • Poland Aviation Detachment (AVDET) Training:  On March 13 and 14, the United States deployed 12 F-16s and approximately 200 support airmen from Aviano, Italy, to Lask, Poland, to participate in a U.S.-Poland AVDET training rotation.  The deployment will focus on training and interoperability with the Polish Air Force.  Three C-130J aircraft will deploy to Powidz Air Base, Poland, on March 31 as part of the next pre-scheduled AVDET rotation.
  • Open Skies Treaty Flight:  On March 14 the United States conducted  -- at Ukraine’s request -- an Open Skies observation mission over Ukraine.
  • Senior Leader Engagement:  The Department of Defense is scheduling near-term Bilateral Defense Consultations with Ukraine, during which senior DoD leaders will discuss defense-related issues with their Ukrainian counterparts.
  • At the request of the Ukrainian government, the Department of Defense will deliver approximately 25,000 cases (300,000 meals) of Meals Ready-to-Eat to Ukraine.
  • Joint U.S.-Ukraine Humanitarian Assistance Command Post Exercise (CPX):  Ukraine requested U.S. officials travel to Kyiv to help plan a humanitarian assistance CPX.  Planning may be conducted in conjunction with the Bilateral Defense Consultations and the CPX executed when the situation in Ukraine is stabilized.

Preplanned but Enhanced U.S. Measures

  • NATO Baltic Air Policing:  On March 6, the United States deployed an additional six F-15Cs to augment the four F-15Cs already in Lithuania filling a NATO peacetime requirement to have quick reaction interceptor aircraft “ramp-ready” for a four-month period to ensure the integrity of the airspace above Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.  The U.S. rotation began in January and is due to end in early May, after which Poland and the United Kingdom have offered to deploy aircraft to support the mission. 
  • USS Truxtun:  The USS Truxtun entered the Black Sea through the Turkish Straits on March 7 to conduct port calls in Constanta, Romania, and conduct a passing exercise (PASSEX) with Romanian and Bulgarian naval forces.  She extended her stay in the Black Sea to conduct a port visit in Varna, Bulgaria, to hold an onboard maritime planning conference with Bulgarian and Romanian officers, and to conduct a second PASSEX.
  • Chiefs of Defense Staff Conference:  U.S. European Command Commander/Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Philip Breedlove added discussion on the situation in Ukraine to the scheduled meeting of Eastern and Central European Chiefs of Defense (CHODs) in Croatia from 19-20 March.  In addition to the Croatian CHOD, who was the co-host, the CHODs from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia attended.

United States Ongoing/Steady State Measures

  • U.S. Force Presence:  There are approximately 67,000 service members in Europe.  Approximately 57,000 active duty service members are assigned to U.S. European Command and approximately 10,000 support other organizations, such as U.S. Africa Command.
  • NATO Response Force (NRF) Commitment:  The United States pledged several thousand service members to the NRF, including a brigade combat team from the Texas-based 1st Cavalry Division, a hospital ship, air-to-air refueling tankers, and escort ships.
  • Army Rotational Forces:  The United States will send a battalion-sized unit from the United States to Europe twice a year for up to two months per rotation.  The unit will participate in NRF exercises, such as the French Rapid Reaction Corps Exercise ROCHAMBEAU in May, and U.S. European Command-hosted multinational exercises such as COMBINED RESOLVE II in June.  Additionally, they participated in Exercise STEADFAST JAZZ this past November.
  • Missile Defense / European Phased Adaptive Approach:  The U.S. contribution to European missile defense, whose aim is to protect against emerging threats from outside of the Euro-Atlantic area, includes a missile defense radar in Turkey, plans for four Aegis destroyers to be forward deployed in Rota, Spain (the first, USS Donald Cook, recently arrived), and two planned Aegis Ashore sites; in Romania (2015) and Poland (2018).
  • Exercise COLD RESPONSE:  The United States participated in COLD RESPONSE, a Norwegian Joint Headquarters command post and field training exercise involving maritime, land, and air forces.  The exercise began on March 10 and went through March 21.  The exercise involved approximately 660 U.S. service members, 470 of whom deployed from the United States.  Overall, 16,000 service members from 16 nations participated in the exercise.
  • Exercises in the Baltic Sea and Poland:  The United States will send U.S. Marines from the Black Sea Rotational Force to the Baltics this April to participate in exercise SUMMER SHIELD.  The United States will also deploy 18 F-16CJs and one KC-135 tanker to Lask Air Base, Poland, concurrent with this year’s BALTOPS exercise, which is an annual, multinational maritime exercise focusing on interoperability, maritime security, and cooperation among Baltic Sea regional partners.
  • Exercise SABER GUARDIAN:  U.S. Army and Bulgarian land forces, along with military personnel from 12 other NATO and partner countries, are conducting Exercise SABER GUARDIAN, a pre-planned consequence management and peace support exercise at the Novo Selo Training Area in Bulgaria, March 21- April 4.

NATO Measures

  • North Atlantic Council Meetings:  Since March 2, the North Atlantic Council has met regularly to review developments in the crisis.
  • NATO-Ukraine Commission Meeting:  On March 2, the NATO-Ukraine Commission met at Ukraine’s request.  On the same day, NATO allies underlined their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, condemned Russia’s military escalation in Crimea, called on Russia to de-escalate, and agreed to increase economic and political pressure on Russia.  There will also be a NATO-Ukraine Commission meeting held at the Foreign Ministerial on April 1-2.
  • Article 4 Consultations:  Subsequent to a request from Poland, the North Atlantic Council held consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty on March 4 and agreed to intensify its on-going assessment of the implication of the crisis for NATO, continue to consult with Ukraine, support efforts for a peaceful solution to the crisis, and meet with Russian representatives on March 5. 
  • Support to Ukraine:  On March 5, NATO allies decided on a number of measures to intensify NATO’s partnership with Ukraine and strengthen cooperation to support democratic reforms.  Measures included an increased engagement with the Ukrainian civilian and military leadership, strengthened efforts to build the capacity of the Ukrainian military, including with more joint training and exercises, and increased efforts to include Ukraine in multinational projects to develop capabilities.
  • Suspension of NATO-Russia Council (NRC) Activities:  At an NRC meeting on March 5, allies condemned Russian military intervention and announced they would be reviewing the entire range of NATO-Russia cooperation in the period before the April 1-2 NATO Foreign Ministerial.  Allies also suspended staff-level civilian and military meetings with Russia, but ambassadorial-level meetings of the NRC will continue. 
  • AWACS:  On March 10, the North Atlantic Council approved establishing AWACS orbits over Poland and Romania to enhance NATO’s situational awareness of activities in the region and to reassure NATO allies.  These aircraft will only fly over NATO territory and will come from the NATO fleet and allied contributions.
  • Crimea Referendum:  On March 17, the NATO Secretary General issued a statement on the referendum calling it illegal, illegitimate, and a violation of the Ukrainian constitution and international law and noted that NATO allies do not recognize its results.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2014

FACT SHEET: U.S.-EU Counterterrorism Cooperation

The United States and the European Union are committed to working together to protect our citizens against terrorist attacks.  We work in close cooperation, bilaterally and multilaterally, to safeguard the security of our citizens in keeping with our shared values and to offer assistance to other countries to build their own capacity.

Collaboration in the Global Counterterrorism Forum Framework

The United States and the EU are among the most active members of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), a multilateral counterterrorism body with 30 worldwide members, designed to address counterterrorism threats and build international capacity.  The United States and the EU jointly support work in all areas of the two working groups focused on Africa:

  • Horn of Africa Region Capacity-Building Working Group:  focuses on law enforcement, criminal justice and the rule of law, border management, countering violent extremism, and countering terrorist financing.  
  • Sahel Region Capacity-Building Working Group:  focuses on police cooperation, building legal and judicial cooperation, border security, community engagement to counter extremism, and countering terrorism financing. 

The United States and the EU also continue to collaborate on three GCTF-inspired institutions, and will serve on the governing boards of and provide financial support to all three institutions:

  • Hedayah:  Hedayah is the first and only international center of excellence on countering violent extremism (CVE).  We will jointly support Hedayah’s efforts, and the United States is funding curriculum development and CVE training.
  • Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund:  This fund, a public-private global venture, will support grassroots efforts to counter violent extremism.  The United States and EU have committed to supporting this fund’s development and operations. 
  • International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law:  Headquartered in Malta, this institute will train criminal justice officials in North, West, and East Africa, with a particular focus on countries in transition, to counter terrorism and handle transnational security challenges while respecting human rights.  The United States and the EU have agreed to provide resources and technical support.

Cooperation on Countering Violent Extremism and Foreign Fighters

We share a common understanding of how terrorists exploit underlying conditions to recruit others to their cause.  The United States and EU have increased transatlantic cooperation on both stemming the flow of foreign fighters and reintegrating them when they return.  We aim to counter violent extremism by providing positive alternatives to communities most at risk of recruitment and radicalization to violence; counter terrorist narratives; and build the capacity of government and civil society to counter violent extremism.

  • Balkans:  The United States and the EU are committed to building the capacity of Balkan governments and civil society to counter violent extremism – from counter-messaging/counter-recruitment to the reintegration of returning fighters.
  • Dutch-Moroccan-led Foreign Fighter Project:  We jointly support a year-long GCTF initiative, launched February 19, led jointly by Morocco and the Netherlands, to address the phenomenon of foreign fighters.
  • U.S. Regional Strategic Initiative Foreign Fighter Project:  The United States, with EU support, will complement the Dutch-Moroccan initiative by focusing on implementation of the Rabat Good Practices to address the criminal justice aspects of prevention, disruption, and prosecution of foreign fighters, mainly focused on the Balkans, Maghreb, and Sahel countries.

Coordination on Combating Terrorist Organizations

We are committed to preventing and countering efforts by terrorists and their networks to travel freely in our territories and finance their illicit activities.  We are continuing this work with the European Union and will rely on a number of critical agreements to accomplish this.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2014

FACT SHEET: U.S.-EU Cooperation on Common Security and Defense Policy

The United States and European Union work closely on security issues, including practical cooperation regarding the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), the EU’s mechanism for deploying crisis management missions around the world.  U.S. cooperation with the EU includes our shared efforts to strengthen cooperation between the EU and NATO and their respective work on operations and capabilities, which is of particular importance for the United States as a member of NATO.

The United States and European Union signed a framework agreement on U.S. participation in EU crisis management operations in 2011, providing the legal mechanism for the United States to contribute civilian personnel to EU CSDP missions and strengthening options for practical, on-the-ground U.S.-EU coordination in crisis situations.  This followed an ad hoc agreement in 2008 that facilitated U.S. participation in the EU’s Rule of Law mission in Kosovo.  The United States continues to contribute civilian personnel to the EU’s mission in Kosovo and is also contributing to the EU’s Security Sector Reform mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  The United States and EU have launched negotiations on an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement to provide a mechanism that could facilitate cooperation on logistical support. 

Beyond U.S. participation in EU missions, U.S. personnel and forces have worked hand-in-hand with EU counterparts to address crises around the world, particularly in Africa.  

  • Mali:  U.S. engagement with the EU Training Mission (EUTM Mali) has been important in the development of U.S. security sector reform planning for Mali and will enhance our mutual efforts to sustain the Malian armed forces’ efforts to combat terrorist elements in the country. 
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo:  In addition to contributing to the EU Security Sector Reform (EUSEC DRC) mission, the United States has also collaborated with the EU on a logistics training center for DRC security forces.
  • Somalia:  From 2010 to 2013, the United States and the EU Training Mission (EUTM Somalia) partnered to provide military training in Uganda to Somali National Security Forces, with the United States providing logistical support to Somali trainees, in support of the then-Somali Transitional Federal Government’s efforts to fight al-Shabaab.  Through the provision of several million dollars of U.S. assistance, the Ugandan military with EU advisors trained several thousand Somalis.   The EU training continues in Mogadishu without the need for additional U.S. logistical aid.
  • Horn of Africa:  U.S. and EU naval vessels also continue to work together with other international partners to fight piracy off the Horn of Africa.  Ongoing cooperation between international navies has allowed the international community to cover more effectively an area of water the size of the continental United States.  The communication and cooperation underlying counter piracy operations have resulted in successful interdictions of many pirate action groups in recent years.  The EU has now succeeded the United States as the rotating Chair of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, as the international community continues to take action against organized criminal syndicates targeting merchant traffic off the Horn of Africa.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2014

NEW WHITE HOUSE REPORT: The Impact of Raising the Minimum Wage on Women and the Importance of Ensuring a Robust Tipped Minimum Wage

“Most people who would get a raise if we raise the minimum wage are not teenagers on their first job – their average age is 35.  A majority of lower-wage jobs are held by women.  These Americans are working full-time, often supporting families, and if the minimum wage had kept pace with our economy’s productivity, they’d already be earning well over $10 an hour today.  Instead, it’s stuck at $7.25.  Every time Congress refuses to raise it, it loses value because the cost of living goes higher, minimum wage stays the same.”

- President Obama, Remarks at Central Connecticut State University, March 5, 2014

Over the past 30 years, modest minimum wage increases have not kept pace with the rising costs of basic necessities for working families. No one who works full time should have to raise his or her family in poverty. President Obama supports raising the minimum wage to help build real, lasting economic security for the middle class and has made it a key part of his plan to create more opportunities for every hardworking American to get ahead in 2014.

The President knows this is important for workers, and good for the economy. That is why the President has already signed an executive order to raise the minimum wage and tipped minimum wage for federal contract workers and is calling on Congress to raise the national minimum wage  from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour and index it to inflation thereafter, while also raising the tipped minimum wage for the first time in over 20 years. Increasing the minimum wage and the tipped minimum wage is especially important for women, who make up more than half of the workforce in jobs that pay the minimum wage and tipped occupations. Today, the White House is releasing a new report that lays out how women and the workforce would benefit if Congress passed legislation to raise the national minimum wage and tipped minimum wage for all Americans. Key findings from the report include:

Raising the minimum wage is especially important for women because:

  • Women in the workforce are more highly concentrated in low-wage sectors such as personal care and healthcare support occupations.
  • Women account for more than half (55 percent) of all workers who would benefit from increasing the minimum wage to $10.10.

Women also make up the majority of workers in predominantly tipped occupation.  Under Federal law, employers are allowed to pay a “tipped minimum wage” of $2.13 to employees who regularly earn tips as long as their tips plus the tipped minimum wage meet or exceed $7.25 per hour.

  • Women account for 72 percent of all workers in predominantly tipped occupations – such as restaurant servers, bartenders, and hairstylists.
  • Average hourly wages for workers in predominantly tipped occupations are nearly 40 percent lower than overall average hourly wages.
  • Workers in predominantly tipped occupations are twice as likely as other workers to experience poverty, and servers are almost three times as likely to be in poverty.
  • About half of all workers in predominantly tipped occupations would see their earnings increase as a result of the President’s proposal.

The national tipped minimum wage has been stuck at $2.13 for over 20 years.  Partly as a result, tipped workers are at greater risk of not earning the full minimum wage, even though employers are required by law to ensure that employees’ tips plus their employer-paid wage meet or exceed the full minimum wage.

  • Since 1991, the tipped minimum wage has declined by 40 percent in real terms.  Today, the tipped minimum wage equals just 29 percent of the full minimum wage, the lowest share since the tipped minimum wage was established in 1966.
  • When surveyed, more than 1 in 10 workers in predominantly tipped occupations report hourly wages below the full national minimum wage, including tips. This fact highlights the challenges of ensuring compliance with minimum wage laws for tipped workers, as the employer contribution has been eroded by 20 years of inflation.
  • Many states have recognized the need for a greater employer contribution to the wages of tipped workers. Currently 32 states (including the District of Columbia) require employers to pay tipped workers an hourly wage that exceeds the national tipped minimum of $2.13 – and seven of these states require employers to pay both tipped and non-tipped workers the same state minimum wage before tips.

Raising the full minimum wage and the tipped minimum wage will help reduce poverty among women and their families, as well as make progress toward closing the gender pay gap.

  • About one-quarter (26 percent) of all workers who would benefit from increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 have dependent children, and 31 percent of female workers who would benefit have children.
  • 2.8 million working single parents would benefit from the President’s proposed increase in the full minimum wage, more than 80 percent of whom are women.
  • Research shows that raising the minimum wage reduces child poverty among female-headed households.
  • Increasing the minimum wage can also help women work their way out of poverty and into the middle class.
  • For every dollar that men earn, women earn just 77 cents. Estimates from the President’s Council of Economic Advisers suggest that increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour and indexing it to inflation could close about 5 percent of the gender wage gap.

THE IMPACT OF RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE ON WOMEN - March 2014

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2014

FACT SHEET: U.S.-EU Economic Ties That Bind

“America and Europe have done extraordinary things together before. And I believe we can forge an economic alliance as strong as our diplomatic and security alliances.”
                                                                                                -President Barack Obama

 The United States and the European Union (EU) share fundamental values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and respect for law.  A robust transatlantic economic relationship undergirds our ability to confront global challenges jointly and to promote global security, development, and prosperity.  We work together to boost jobs and growth on both sides of the Atlantic, promote financial stability, advance energy security, and help the EU’s European neighbors integrate into the Euro-Atlantic community.

The U.S.-EU Economy

 The U.S.-EU Economy accounts for about half of global GDP and a third of global trade, with $1 trillion in annual two-way trade.  The United States and the EU have the world’s largest investment relationship, with nearly $4 trillion in total transatlantic investments.

  • The EU is the United States’ largest merchandise and services trade partner.  Two-way trade currently supports roughly 13 million jobs on both sides.
  • EU and U.S. foreign direct investment in each other’s economies directly supports 7 million American and European jobs, and millions more indirectly.  Specifically, affiliates of U.S. firms employ about 4.2 million workers in Europe.  U.S. direct investments in Europe rose by 6 percent in 2013, totaling an estimated $200 billion, which represents nearly 14 percent of global foreign direct investment inflows of $1.5 trillion.
  • U.S.-EU flows in research and development are the most intense between any two international partners, with mutual investments exceeding $60 billion annually.  Almost 20 U.S. government agencies and research institutions are currently collaborating with the EU on two dozen projects ranging from global food security to developing new therapies to treat cancer.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) 

The United States and EU are negotiating an ambitious and comprehensive trade agreement with the goal of significantly expanding our trade and investment, and increasing economic growth and jobs.  We want to eliminate tariffs, reduce non-tariff barriers to trade, and increase the compatibility of our regulations and standards without lowering the level of health, safety, and environmental protections our people have come to expect and which they deserve. 

People-to-People Connections 

Over 12 million Europeans visited the United States in 2012.  Eight of the top twenty countries whose citizens visited the United States in 2012 were EU member states.  In the past five years, nearly one million American and EU students have crossed the Atlantic to study.  In 2013 alone, more than 18,000 citizens from EU countries came to the United States on special visas for cultural exchange, including physicians, research scholars, teachers, and trainees.  These visitors not only broadened their own skills and networks but they contributed to continuing U.S. and EU collaboration in research and development, innovation, and growth.  The U.S. government also directly sponsors transatlantic exchanges between rising American and European leaders.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2014

FACT SHEET: U.S.-EU Cooperation

The longstanding partnership between the United States and the European Union strengthens our economic prosperity, collective security, and the common values that sustain us.  Enacting the Marshall Plan in 1948, Congress stated:

Mindful of the advantages which the United States has enjoyed through the existence of a large domestic market with no internal trade barriers…it is declared to be the policy of the people of the United States to encourage these countries through a joint organization to exert sustained common efforts…which will speedily achieve that economic cooperation in Europe which is essential for lasting peace and prosperity… (Foreign Assistance Act of 1948)

The sixty-year diplomatic relationship between the United States and the European Union stretches back to 1953, when the first U.S. observers went to the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).  In 1954, the European Commission established its Delegation to the United States in Washington, DC.  In 1956, the U.S. Mission to the ECSC formally opened in Luxembourg.  In 1961, the United States inaugurated its Mission to the European Communities, now the United States Mission to the European Union, in Brussels.

In 1990, the Transatlantic Declaration formalized relations between the United States and the European Community.  A steady political dialogue between the United States and the European Community thereby began, including regular summit meetings.  Cooperation focused on the economy, education, science, and culture.  The New Transatlantic Agenda, launched in 1995, outlined four broad objectives for U.S.-EU collaboration:  promoting peace and stability; sustaining democracy and development around the world; responding to global challenges; contributing to the expansion of world trade and closer economic relations; and building bridges across the Atlantic.

At the 1998 U.S.-EU Summit in London, leaders adopted a joint statement on the Transatlantic Economic Partnership to intensify and extend multilateral and bilateral cooperation and common actions in the field of trade and investment.  The United States and the European Union are the two largest economies in the world, accounting for almost 50 percent of global GDP and 30 percent of global trade.  Foreign direct investment has created millions of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic, and every day $2.6 billion in goods and services flow between the two. 

To strengthen transatlantic economic integration and improve competitiveness, the United States and the EU established the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) in 2007.  In 2013, the U.S.-EU High Level Working Group on Jobs and Growth recommended that the United States and the EU negotiate a comprehensive and ambitious agreement addressing a broad range of bilateral trade and investment issues.  In response, leaders launched the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) negotiations.  This ambitious trade and investment agreement will aim to boost economic growth in the United States and the EU and add to the more than 13 million American and EU jobs already supported by transatlantic trade and investment.  

In addition to our economic cooperation, the United States and the European Union have joined forces as partners to address key foreign policy and security issues.  Since the EU’s first Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) mission in Bosnia, launched in 2002, the United States and the EU have worked together on the ground – and with other partners, especially NATO and the UN – to address shared security concerns in the Balkans, in Afghanistan, across Africa, and elsewhere in the world.  The first instance of U.S. participation in an EU mission was in 2008 for the EULEX Kosovo mission.  The ad hoc agreement for U.S. participation in EULEX was the basis for the subsequent 2011 “Framework Agreement,” facilitating U.S. civilian participation in all CSDP missions.

In the 21st century, the challenges and opportunities before us are no longer limited by national or regional borders.  Recognizing the need for a common approach to these global challenges, the United States and the European Union continue to build our cooperation on issues from energy and climate change to countering violent extremism to capitalizing on the opportunities of the “digital future.”  Looking to that future, we remain united in our partnership to promote peace, stability, and prosperity across the globe.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2014

Remarks by President Obama, His Majesty King Philippe, and Prime Minister di Rupo of Belgium at Flanders Field Cemetery

Waregem, Belgium

11:17 A.M. CET

HIS MAJESTY KING PHILIPPE:  Mr. President, we are deeply moved to stand here with you amidst the graves of brave American soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom.  We remember and honor all those who took part in the First World War and who were killed or maimed, and those who, even if they survived, were often scarred forever by the dreadful experience.  We will always be grateful for the sacrifice.

The United States of America fought side-by-side with Belgium and other European nations.  As President Woodrow Wilson said, “There is a price which is too great to pay for peace, and that price can be put in one word.  One cannot pay the price of self-respect.”

For Belgium, this was true when my great-grandfather, King Albert I, led our country in its rejection of the Kaiser’s ultimatum, and defended Belgium’s status of neutrality.  The horrors of the trench warfare, including the use of chemical weapons for the first time ever in world history, the deaths of so many soldiers -- all this was the acid bath in which many of the old beliefs were dissolved.

The First World War led to many changes in all our countries.  Many reforms were introduced in the following years. However, the so-called “war to end all wars” was followed by an even more brutal one, which engulfed most of the world and which, moreover, saw the heartrending atrocity of the Holocaust.

Our countries have learned the hard way that national sovereignty quickly reaches its limits when confronted to its heavily armed adversary who do not respect that sovereignty.  Thanks to visionary people, we started on the road of European integration.  It was and remains a rocky road, but we are truly convinced that it is the only one.  Today, international cooperation, both regional and global, is more than ever necessary to roll back the scourge of war and violence with the tragic wake of human suffering.

This year’s ceremonies of remembrance must inspire all peace-loving nations to continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to spread the rule of law, human rights, and respect for each other. This is the best bulwark against war.

I know that the United States and Belgium will continue to stand together in this endeavor.

PRIME MINISTER DI RUPO:  President Obama, Your Majesty, ladies and gentlemen:  We are gathered today to remember -- to remember the millions of soldiers and civilians who died during the First World War in Belgium and in the rest of Europe; and here, in Waregem, to especially remember the Americans who lost their lives in our cities and our countryside.

On behalf of Belgium, I will honor their memory and thank them and their families for their terrible sacrifice -- a sacrifice that will remain a part of our history and will always have a place in the heart of the Belgian and American people.  We will never forget.

Mr. President, Your Majesty, the ties between Belgium and the United States of America are very strong.  I have said this before and I’m saying it again today in the presence of President Obama:  We, the Belgian and America peoples, share and cherish the same values of freedom, democracy, and progress.  We have fought long and hard to obtain them, and we must work hard every day to keep them alive.

These values are our most precious gift to our young people and future generation.  Therefore, we have to continue to draw lessons for the terrible war that started 100 years ago.  And above all, we have to prevent new conflicts.  Those who ignore the past are taking the risk to relive it.  Each step to reconcile difference is a step away from war.  Each step to open up our hearts and minds is a step toward peace.

Mr. President, Your Majesty, ladies and gentlemen, the American sons who fell on our soil are our sons.  I promise you, Mr. President, that we will always keep their memory alive.  At the same time, we will never forget our Second World War liberators.  They, as well, were examples of courage.  We are determined to ensure (inaudible) of peace, democracy and human rights.  We are determined to ensure the integrity of frontiers and the respect of international law.  Here next to these graves, we make a solemn commitment to continue our efforts to promote peace and solidarity amongst people.

Mr. President, Your Majesty, the guns fell silent a long time ago, as did the voices of the fallen soldiers.  But their example will always continue to inspire us.   

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Your Majesty King Philippe, Prime Minister Di Rupo, I'm honored to be here today.  Thank you for welcoming me to this sacred place.  To the staff of Flanders Field Cemetery and the people of Belgium, thank you for your devotion, watching over those who rest here and preserving these hallowed grounds for all of us who live in their debt.

As His Majesty and the Prime Minister mentioned, we just spent some quiet moments among the final resting places of young men who fell nearly a century ago.  And it is impossible not to be awed by the profound sacrifice they made so that we might stand here today.  In this place, we remember the courage of “Brave Little Belgium.”  Here, we visited the grave of a young Polish immigrant to America who just a few hours into his very first battle gave his life for his adopted country.  And here, we saw the headstones of two men from Brooklyn, New York, who lay as they fought -- side-by-side. 

Here, we also see that no soldier -- and no nation -- sacrificed alone.  I’m told that this is one of more than 100 cemeteries tucked into the quiet corners of this beautiful countryside.  It’s estimated that beneath about 50 square miles there rest hundreds of thousands of men -- Belgian and American, French and Canadian, British and Australian, and so many others.

We talked about how many of the Americans who fought on Belgian soil during the Great War did so under the command of His Majesty’s great-grandfather, King Albert.  And while they didn’t always share a common heritage or even a common language, the soldiers who manned the trenches were united by something larger -- a willingness to fight, and die, for the freedom that we enjoy as their heirs.

Long after those guns fell silent, this bond has endured.  Belgians and Americans have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with our European allies in World War II and through a long Cold War, then from Afghanistan to Libya.  And today, Belgium is one of our closest partners in the world -- a strong and capable ally.  And thanks to the extraordinary alliance between our two nations, we know a level of peace and prosperity that those who fought here could scarcely have imagined. 

And so before visiting the cemetery, His Majesty, the Prime Minister and I were able to spend some time together.  I was very grateful for the opportunity.  It was a chance to reaffirm our commitment to keep as strong as they’ve ever been the bonds between our nations -- a determination that I know is shared by the American and Belgian people.

Here today, I’d also note that the lessons of that war speak to us still.  Our nations are part of the international effort to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons -- the same kinds of weapons that were used to such devastating effect on these very fields.  We thought we had banished their use to history, and our efforts send a powerful message that these weapons have no place in a civilized world.  This is one of the ways that we can honor those who fell here.  

And so this visit, this hallowed ground, reminds us that we must never, ever take our progress for granted.  We must commit perennially to peace, which binds us across oceans.

In 1915, a Canadian doctor named John McCrae sat in the back of an ambulance not far from here, and wrote a poem about the heavy sacrifice he had seen.  They became some of the most cherished and well-known words from that war.  And they ended with a plea:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

What is lesser known is that three years after he wrote those words -- and thousands of miles away -- an American schoolteacher named Moina Michael read McCrae’s poem.  And she was so moved that she wrote a response:

Oh! you who sleep in “Flanders Fields,”

Sleep sweet -- to rise anew!

We caught the torch you threw

And holding high, we keep the Faith

With All who died.

Your Majesty, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you again.  What I’ve seen at Flanders Field will stay with me always.  To all who sleep here, we can say we caught the torch, we kept the faith, and Americans and Belgians will always stand together for freedom, for dignity, and for the triumph of the human spirit. 

May God bless you.  May God bless the memory of all who rest beneath these fields.  And may God bless the peoples of both our nations.

END
11:31 A.M. CET

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2014

FACT SHEET: Bilateral Relations between the United States and Belgium

Belgium is a valued and reliable NATO ally, and our countries have enjoyed strong bonds of friendship and close cooperation since 1832.  Our long-standing ties are based on shared values, and the United States and Belgium work together across the globe to promote security, human rights, and prosperity for all. 

Standing Together For Generations 

Belgians and Americans have fought side by side and paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend freedom and liberty for generations, including during the fifth Battle of Ypres in 1918, during World War I, and the Battle of the Bulge in 1944-1945, during World War II.  When World War I brought famine to Belgium, ordinary Americans led by future U.S. president Herbert Hoover, sent food and medical aid that help saved millions from starvation, and after World War I, the United States assisted with Belgium’s recovery.  After World War II, Belgium participated in the Marshall Plan, which helped to restore Europe’s post-war economy.  On September 12, 2001, Belgium joined with our NATO Allies to invoke Article 5 of the NATO Treaty – a powerful statement of solidarity with the United States. 

Strengthening Shared Security At Home and Abroad

The United States and Belgium are founding members of the NATO Alliance; as allies, we have a shared responsibility for advancing our shared security.  Belgium hosts the NATO Headquarters and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, NATO’s Strategic Command for operations.  Belgium is also a key contributor to NATO operations, such as its participation in NATO’s Operation Unified Protector in Libya in 2011.  Belgium has made important contributions to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan, and has pledged to support Afghanistan during its post-2014 transition.  Belgium also contributes to key capabilities initiatives.  It has provided three rotations to Baltic Air Policing operations and pledged a fourth.

U.S. and Belgian humanitarian and development efforts in Africa and the Middle East are complementary, and serve to promote stability and security for the region’s inhabitants.  Belgium also has provided much-needed emergency airlift assistance during international crises, which the United States values.  Through its participation in EU and NATO counter-piracy operations, its demining mission in UNIFIL in Lebanon, contributions to the United Nation’s MONUSCO peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the EU Training Mission in Mali, Belgium is demonstrating its commitment to advancing human rights and promoting peace and security in some of the most challenging environments around the world. 

The United States and Belgium share a mutual interest in creating safe communities in the United States, Belgium, and elsewhere by cooperating on counterterrorism and countering violent extremism.  Ongoing consultations and visits by senior U.S. and Belgian counterparts reinforce the high level of law enforcement and judicial cooperation between the two countries.  The Belgian government collaborates closely with the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol on the Container Screening Initiative and with the Department of Energy on the Megaports Initiative to ensure dangerous cargo and nuclear fissile material are not smuggled through Belgian ports.  Belgium and the United States announced at the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit that they have jointly completed the removal of a significant amount of excess highly enriched uranium (HEU) and separated plutonium from Belgium, as part of their commitment to reduce the risks of nuclear terrorism.

Enhancing Economic and Commercial Ties 

The United States and Belgium have deep, reliable, and longstanding economic and commercial ties.  In 2013, the United States exported nearly $32 billion worth of goods to Belgium; around 50 percent of U.S. exports to Belgium transit to the rest of Europe.  In 2013, Belgian exports to the United States totaled $19 billion, including precious stones/metals, mineral fuel/oil, pharmaceuticals, transport equipment, and machinery.

The United States and Belgium are also significant investment partners.  Belgium is the 9th largest investor in the United States with $88.7 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) on a historical cost basis.  In 2011, U.S. subsidiaries of Belgian-owned firms employed some 160,000 U.S. workers, invested $246 million in research and development in the United States, and contributed nearly $3.4 billion to U.S. goods exported.  FDI flows from Belgium to the United States reached $11.9 billion in 2012.  The U.S. FDI position in Belgium stood at $53.8 billion in 2012.  Belgian affiliates of U.S. firms employed approximately 138,100 people as of 2011.  Thirteen representatives of Belgian businesses and trade organizations attended the SelectUSA conference in October 2013, which the President addressed.

The United States seeks to strengthen economic cooperation with Belgium even further, and the negotiation of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) presents an opportunity to further expand this relationship, creating more jobs and greater prosperity for Americans and Belgians alike – especially as foreign trade represents 65 percent of Belgium’s gross domestic product (GDP).  Today, more than 13 million jobs on both sides of the Atlantic are already supported by U.S.-EU trade, and it is estimated that such an agreement would increase exports by tens of billions of dollars and support hundreds of thousands of additional jobs.  It would also build a lasting foundation for our efforts to promote growth and the global economic recovery and serve as a powerful demonstration of our determination to shape a free, open, and rules-based world and create new opportunities for small and medium sized firms that are engines of growth across the world.

Partnering through educational and cultural programs

Belgian and U.S. universities partner on a variety of activities, and the Fulbright program supports 50 students and scholars from Belgium annually.  In 2013, 894 Belgian students were enrolled in U.S. institutions of higher education, and 1,300 Americans studied in universities in Belgium.  Cultural bonds formed through immigration and solidified after the wars of the early 20th century, and they continue to be strengthened through education, travel, and tourism today. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 25, 2014

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 3771

On Tuesday, March 25, 2014, the President signed into law:

H.R. 3771, the “Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act,” which allows taxpayers to accelerate the income tax benefits for certain charitable cash contributions made before April 15, 2014, for the relief of victims in areas affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 25, 2014

Press Gaggle by Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Brussels, Belgium 

9:19 P.M. CET

Q    And comments on the denial of a Saudi visa to the Jerusalem Post Washington’s bureau chief?

MR. RHODES:  I'll say basically what we said, which is that we were very disappointed by the Saudi decision.  We expressly reached out to the Saudi government through multiple channels when we became aware of this issue.  We made it clear how important it was to us that this journalist, like any other journalist, have access to cover the President’s trip.  And we'll continue to raise our concerns with the Saudis about why this journalist was denied a visa and about our very strong objections to their decision.

Q    What was the reason?

MR. RHODES:  They did not give a reason.  Again, any journalist should be able to cover the President’s trip if they have the appropriate credentials to do so, and it certainly should not be the case that the affiliation of a journalist should in any way count against their ability to do their job just because they work for the Jerusalem Post. 

Q    That didn’t cause you guys to reconsider going to Saudi Arabia or anything like that?

MR. RHODES:  No.  Look, we have disagreements with Saudi Arabia on a number of issues.  We obviously have had disagreements in the past as it relates to some issues associated with Israel, some issues associated with human rights.  But we also share a significant set of interests with Saudi Arabia.  They’re a very important partner of ours in the Gulf, and we believe it's better to have the type of relationship where we can cooperate but also be clear and honest with one another where we have differences.

Q    Thanks, Ben.

END
9:21 P.M. CET