Biden `emphasized his commitment to deepen and restore US-EU relations`, the President-elect’s office announced after he had a phone call with Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, Head of the European Union (EU).
With a different tone from US President Donald Trump, who considered the EU a `rival` and accused the EU of taking advantage of trade with the US, Biden expressed hope that the two sides would `cooperate to overcome common challenges`.
President-elect Joe Biden responded to a press conference in Wilmington, Delaware, on November 16.
`It was great speaking with President-elect Joe Biden,` Von der Leyen wrote on Twitter.
Ms. Von der Leyen’s optimistic tone was seen as a sign of relief in many European countries, with the prospect that relations with the US would be smoother after four years of conflict and tension under Trump.
`Let’s rebuild a strong US-EU alliance,` European Union head Charles Michel posted on Twitter, after a call with Biden, whom he invited `to a special meeting in Brussels next year.`
Biden spoke bilaterally with a series of European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who congratulated him on his election despite Trump’s refusal to admit defeat.
European diplomats are looking to Biden to express his stance on Brexit, or more broadly, how the US relationship with the EU compares to the so-called `special relationship` between the US and UK.
Both Biden as well as nominated secretary of state Antony Blinken have criticized Brexit and expressed concern about its impact on peace in Ireland.
Michel said he thanked Biden for emphasizing that Britain needs to fully implement the Brexit agreement signed with the EU last year.
Biden also spoke with Jens Stoltenberg, head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), about `America’s longstanding commitment to NATO, including the fundamental principle of collective defense under Article 5 of the treaty.`
Article 5 is a collective defense clause that stipulates that any armed attack against a NATO member is considered an attack against the entire alliance and that members shall assist victims of an attack.
On November 23, the Trump administration sent a letter to Biden, announcing its readiness to start the power transition process.
