Major boost for US under Biden as Germany, France, UK agree ‘to revive transatlantic ties’

Following their first in-depth talks since President Joe Biden took office, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Britain and the United States on Friday said they wanted “to revive” the transatlantic relationship between the countries.

“The foreign ministers agreed that they want to revive the traditionally close transatlantic partnership and tackle global challenges together in future,” the German foreign ministry said in a statement, AFP reported.

“This first, in-depth exchange between the foreign ministers since President Biden’s inauguration was characterised by a trusting and constructive atmosphere.”

The European foreign ministers and their newly appointed US counterpart Antony Blinken discussed the Iran nuclear deal, which has been in tatters since former President Donald Trump pulled out of the pact in 2018.

“The E3 and the US discussed how a united approach could address our shared concerns towards Iran,” tweeted British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, with E3 referring to the three European signatories to the 2015 Iran deal.

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Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Twitter described the talks as an “important conversation on Iran” and handling nuclear and regional security challenges “together”.

In a shift from Trump’s go-it-alone “America First” approach, State Department spokesman Ned Price said that Blinken “underscored the US commitment to coordinated action to overcome global challenges. “

Blinken and his counterparts “affirmed the centrality of the transatlantic relationship in dealing with security, climate, economic, health and other challenges the world faces,” Price said, AFP reported.