With the United States moving off a 13-year war footing, it‘s clear to us – it‘s very clear to President Obama – that our future requires a renewed and enhanced era of partnership with our friends and allies, especially here in Europe. As this panel acknowledges, we need what John just described and as Ambassador Ischinger has noted, a transatlantic renaissance. (..)

We‘re looking at promising new initiatives, including Germany‘s framework nations concept, which could help NATO plan and invest more efficiently and more effectively. In Africa, the U.S. military and our European allies are already partners in combating violent extremism and working alongside our diplomats to avert humanitarian catastrophes.

In Mali, in the Central African Republic, the U.S. and European partners are providing specialized enablers, such as air transport and refueling. We‘re there to support a leading operational role for French forces.