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European Union

EU and US Officials Meet to Coordinate Tsunami Aid and Repair Relations

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana met with top US officials in Washington on Tuesday to coordinate aid efforts and smooth over tensions regarding each side's tsunami relief contributions. The meeting came amid concerns from France and other EU member states that the US had bypassed traditional UN channels in its aid efforts. The US had formed a separate aid coalition with Australia, Japan, and India, which some saw as an attempt to compete with the UN.

Key Takeaways:

  • The US and EU are coordinating their tsunami aid efforts to avoid duplication and ensure more effective relief.
  • France and other EU member states had initially expressed concerns that the US was bypassing traditional UN channels in its aid efforts.
  • The US had formed a separate aid coalition with Australia, Japan, and India, which some saw as an attempt to circumvent the UN.
  • The EU is discussing ways to improve intra-European disaster cooperation, potentially through the creation of a rapid-response civil defense group.
  • The US and France have had a brief but tense exchange over aid efforts, with France's President Jacques Chirac expressing concerns that the US was undermining the UN's role in disaster response.
  • The EU has pledged significant aid, with individual nations contributing vast sums and the European Commission making available an additional $408 million.

Statistics:

  • The EU has pledged a total of $408 million in aid, with individual nations contributing:

+ Britain: $95 million

+ Sweden: $75.5 million

+ Spain: $68 million

  • The US has pledged up to $350 million in aid, more than 20 times its initial total.
  • Japan has pledged $500 million in aid, the largest contribution so far.
  • France has increased its aid total to $50 million, triple its initial level.

Sources:

  • "US and France Hold Tsunami Aide Taste" by Brian Knowlton, The Washington Times
  • "Sorana, US Officials Discuss Tsunami Aid" by The Washington Post
  • "EU Mulls Disaster Cooperation" by The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
  • "Chirac Worries US Circumvents UN" by The Times of London
  • "EU Pledges $408 Million in Tsunami Aid" by Reuters

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