As stated by Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell in Washington, D.C. Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the enduring importance of the U.S.-EU partnership and the United States' commitment to work together with the EU to confront shared challenges. The Secretary and High Representative Borrell discussed developments related to Afghanistan and looked forward to the launch of the U.S.-EU High-Level Dialogue on Russia and the next high-level meeting of the U.S.-EU Dialogue on China, which will occur later this year. The Secretary welcomed the EU's Indo-Pacific strategy, and he and the High Representative agreed to launch high-level consultations on the Indo-Pacific in late 2021. The Secretary expressed appreciation for the EU's continuing unequivocal support for the European perspective of the Western Balkans and commitment to the enlargement process, and he emphasized the need to move forward on accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia. The Secretary and the High Representative also underscored their strong support for efforts to restore the democratic order in Venezuela.
The Secretary also thanked the High Representative for the European External Action Service's role in the successful first meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade & Technology Council. They discussed their shared concerns regarding higher energy prices and their effect on the global economic recovery, and they agreed to hold a U.S.-EU Energy Council ministerial meeting in early 2022. The Secretary reaffirmed the United States' support for a stronger and more capable European defense that contributes positively to transatlantic and global security and is compatible with NATO. He and the High Representative underscored their intention to launch a dedicated dialogue on security and defense, as agreed at the June U.S.-EU Summit, and tasked their teams to explore the scope and modalities of such a dialogue.
