By Martin Banks - 6th October 2009
The new US ambassador to Belgium has said that EU-US relations are "heading in the right direction".
Speaking in Brussels on Monday, Howard Gutman said that after relations cooled over the Iraq war, he believes Europe is "ready to take a fresh look" at America.
"If it does," he said, "it will find a United States that wants to be a better partner [to Europe] and one that is prepared to listen and learn."
Gutman, who recently took up his new post, was speaking at an event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Belgium, which aims to promote business links between the two countries.
The former Washington-based lawyer also said he hopes the international community will play a larger role in helping to bring stability to war-torn Afghanistan.
Many EU member states, with the notable exception of the UK, have been criticised for not shouldering enough of the burden in Afghanistan.
Gutman, a former special assistant to the FBI on counter-terrorism, said, "This is not solely a US problem but one that faces the whole world."
The Harvard graduate also accepted that Afghanistan will not be solved by military power alone, adding, "We will clearly require civilian support as well."
Turning to the issue of climate change, he conceded that, here too, America has been the target of some criticism over its policy.
Many believe the US, as one of the world's biggest emitters of CO2, should do more to tackle the impact of global warming.
Gutman, who played a leading role in Barack Obama's presidential campaign, said, "Yes, we've been criticised but we are working as hard as anyone to tackle the issue."
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