PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA INVITED TO ADDRESS EUROPEAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001704 SIPDIS STATE FOR S/ES-CR, S/ES-O, AND EUR/ERA NSC FOR KRISTINA KVIEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPDC PREL OVIP OBAMA BARACK EUN SUBJECT: PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA INVITED TO ADDRESS EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT IN APRIL REF: STATE 118192 ¶1. (U) Hans-Gert Pottering, President of the European Parliament, asked us to transmit the following letter to President-elect Obama. Pottering sent the original to Obama's Senate office via the European Commission delegation in Washington. ¶2. (U) Begin text. 5 November 2008 Senator Barack Obama 713 Hart Office Building United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 United States Dear President-elect, I am writing to congratulate you most sincerely on your election as the 44th President of the United States. On behalf of all the Members of the European Parliament, I would like to wish you every success in the challenging new role which you take on at this critical time. I would also like to assure you that you will enjoy the good-will and encouragement of the people of the European Union in addressing the important and urgent tasks that lie ahead. If I may say so, I believe that this Presidential election has proved once again the extraordinary capacity for renewal which has so often been evident at difficult, indeed defining, moments in American history. It has shown the deep strength and vitality of your democracy and political system. As you will have sensed during your visit to Europe in July, there is great enthusiasm for the idea of our working together in effective partnership on many of the global issues facing decision-makers in both our continents - for example, on climate change and energy security. Your election offers a unique chance to strengthen and deepen EU-US relations, and to put our relationship on a firmer and more vibrant footing. We must aim to take full advantage of this possibility. For this reason, I would be delighted to welcome you to the European Parliament very early in your term of office and to offer you the opportunity to address a solemn sitting of our institution. It would be an honour and a pleasure to receive you in this way, and I can assure you that you would receive a very warm reception indeed. By good fortune, a perfect occasion for such a visit will arise next spring. A special summit to celebrate the 60th anniversary of NATO is currently scheduled for Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th April 2009 in Strasbourg and Kehl. Over the previous two days - on Wednesday 1st and Thursday 2nd April - the Parliament will be holding a plenary session in Brussels. President Reagan addressed the European Parliament in May 1985, on the fortieth anniversary of the end of the second world war. As I myself can recall vividly, it was a powerful occasion which proved deeply memorable for all involved. It would be wonderful if you, as a new President, were able, twenty years after the dramatic events in Europe of 1989, to outline your own thinking about the world today and how the United States and European Union can work successfully together in addressing the challenges and opportunities of our time. The 785-strong European Parliament, which I chair, is directly elected by the nearly 500 million citizens of the European Union and it acts as the joint legislature with the Council of Ministers in many areas of EU policy. The next European elections will be held in June 2009. I extend to you once again my warmest congratulations on your election as President and hope that the idea of speaking to the European Parliament next April appeals, as you plan your first visits abroad. I very much look forward to our working together in the months to come. With my very best wishes, Yours, BRUSSELS 00001704 002 OF 002 (signed) Hans-Gert Pottering End text. SILVERBERG .