EU-U.S. summit to focus on global challenges

The first EU-U.S. summit involving the new American administration will cover various major global issues, EU commissioners said Tuesday.

The summit, which started in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, has a heavy agenda covering major global challenges such as economic recovery and growth, climate change, aid to developing countries and major foreign policy issues, said Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the commissioner for external relations and European neighborhood policy.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the EU-U.S. relationship is an essential source of stability in a rapidly changing world.

"We must work together to find the right policy mix for global economic recovery, creating new jobs, rebuilding the world financial system, improving energy security and advancing free trade," he said.

Barroso also pushed for EU-U.S. cooperation in the field of climate change.

"We must tackle together the challenge of climate change which threatens our livelihood and security," Barroso said.

"It is paramount that we push our negotiators to find solutions at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December," he said.

Source: Xinhua