"NAI at a Glance" reports on recent and future NAI events. In an effort to strengthen and broaden NAI's network, "NAI at a Glance" also disseminates timely and important articles by leading members and friends of the network.  For further information on the New Atlantic Initiative, please see our web page at www.aei.org/nai/nai.htm.

Jeffrey Gedmin
Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute
Executive Director, New Atlantic Initiative

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RECENT NAI EVENTS

ROUNDTABLE WITH HENRY KISSINGER, PARIS, MAY 28, 2001. At a roundtable meeting hosted by NAI, HENRY KISSINGER discussed the future of ballistic missile defense, the ABM Treaty, and NATO enlargement. He encouraged a transatlantic approach toward Russia. Other meeting participants included MARC PERRIN DE BRICHAMBAUT of the French Ministry of Defense; ROBERT COOPER of the UK's Cabinet office; AEI's RICHARD PERLE; and MICHEL FOUCHER of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

LUNCH DISCUSSION WITH EMYR JONES PARRY, AEI, MAY 17, 2001. According to Parry, the political director of the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Britain wants to see Europe succeed in a way that doesn't diminish Europe's transatlantic link.  Contrary to press reports, he explained that not even the French advocate something separate from NATO.  Thus, talk of a slow cooling in the Atlantic alliance may be greatly exaggerated, according to Parry, who also fielded questions about North Korea, saying that U.S. and E.U. positions are really "not so different."

LUNCH WITH RUSSIAN BUSINESS LEADERS, AEI, MAY 2, 2001. RICHARD PERLE hosted Club 2015, a group of Russian business leaders and politicians, who together discussed the danger of a Russian military that is holding onto the past, the problems of widespread corruption, the consequences for internal policy formation, and the direction of U.S.-Russia relations.  Agreement centered around the fact that there are few immediate threats to Russia that necessitate a military response.  The Russians see difficulty in coming to agreement on issues of NATO expansion and missile defense and insist on a less unilateral, more dialogue-oriented U.S. approach.  What the Russians need to do in relations with the U.S., Perle suggested, is drop their old agenda.

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UPCOMING NAI EVENTS*

SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE IN THE 21st CENTURY, ISTANBUL, JUNE 28-29. NAI will sponsor a delegation to participate in the ARI Movement's conference in Istanbul. THIS EVENT IS BY INVITATION ONLY.

NATO ENLARGEMENT AND SECURITY IN NORTHERN EUROPE, COPENHAGEN, SUMMER 2001 (DATE TBD). A group of NAI invitees will discuss strategies for the next round of NATO enlargement.  THIS EVENT IS BY INVITATION ONLY.

NAI CONGRESS OF BUDAPEST, SEPTEMBER 28-29. The New Atlantic Initiative will convene a congress hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb?n in Budapest. Sessions will deal with ballistic missile defense, NATO enlargement, Southeastern European security, Russia, and US-EU relations. THIS EVENT IS BY INVITATION ONLY.

ASIA DELEGATION VISIT, FALL 2001 (DATE TBD). Trade and missile defense will be two of the issues an NAI-led delegation will discuss in meetings in Taiwan, Japan, and China.  THIS EVENT IS BY INVITATION ONLY.

*The information presented here is subject to change without notice.

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RECOMMENDED READING
Please click here to view these articles online: http://www.aei.org/nai/recread.htm

BLAIR SHOULD KEEP A CLOSER EYE ON AMERICA by Irwin Stelzer, The Sunday Times, May 6, 2001.  Stelzer argues that "Events have soured the Anglo-American relationship to the point where it is on the verge of losing its 'special' character."  After Blair's expected victory this month, it will inevitably be time for him make firm policy decisions that will undoubtedly impact the UK's relationship with the US.  Between cuts in EU defense spending, plans for the ERRF, and U.S. missile defense talks, the special relationship faces many challenges.

OUT TO TORPEDO MISSILE DEFENSE by Robert Kagan, Washington Post, May 9, 2001.  Kagan points out the bitter partisanship of the Democrats' flip-flop on missile defense.  Last year, Democrats were lining up to support Clinton's efforts to deploy NMD; this year, they make every effort to oppose Bush in his talks on the issue, culminating in former U.N. ambassador Richard Holbrooke's call for Europe to be more vocal in opposing the President's plans.

US TO UK: DON'T LET BRUSSELS RUIN IT by Toby Harnden, The Spectator, May 12, 2001.  Reporting on NAI's recent panel discussion on European defense, Harnden discusses the transatlantic controversy surrounding ESDP.  The NAI discussion proved that while many Europeans are convinced of ESDP's necessity, American officials remain extremely skeptical of their intentions.  Participating on the panel were CHARLES GRANT of the Centre for European Reform (London), CHRISTOPH BERTRAM of the Institut fuer Wissenschaft und Politik (Berlin), GILLES ANDREANI of the French Foreign Ministry, AEI's RICHARD PERLE, and former CIA director R. JAMES WOOLSEY.  UPI's MARTIN WALKER served as the panel chairman.

EUROPE, MEET MR. RUMSFELD by Jeffrey Gedmin, Wall Street Journal Europe, May 23, 2001.  The Bush administration has been off to a rocky start with its European allies. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld "appears to hold special honors," writes Gedmin, "when it comes to fueling European anxieties." Gedmin reviews U.S.-European disagreements on missile defense and ESDP, arguing that Rumsfeld, rather than being an ideologue as detractors contend, is taking a strictly pragmatic view of most transatlantic issues.

WASHINGTON FINDS A SOFT SPOT FOR ITS OLD ENEMY by Gerard Baker, Financial Times, May 31, 2001.  Baker argues that the US and Russia can redefine their relationship in terms of two democracies cooperating toward common goals without the use of the ABM treaty.  According to Baker, perhaps "the refusal of some Europeans to consider the possibility of a fundamentally changed relationship with Russia*owes more to an enduring eagerness to frustrate US ambitions than to work for lasting transatlantic cooperation."

DRIVING A TRANS-ATLANTIC WEDGE by Jeffrey Gedmin, Wall Street Journal Europe, June 5, 2001.  As U.S. President George Bush prepares to embark on his first trip to Europe, Gedmin reviews the apparent obsession of some EU elites with the issue of the death penalty in the United States. Gedmin argues that opinion about capital punishment is more complex on both sides of the Atlantic than some would like to admit. According to Gedmin, some in Europe are using the death penalty to express Euronationalist, anti-American sentiment.

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