PRAGUE – On October 30 and 31, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai traveled to Prague, Czech Republic to attend the informal trade ministers’ meeting of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council and hold bilateral meetings with her European counterparts. This is the third such meeting she has attended and welcomed once again the opportunity to hear from our European partners on a range of important economic and trade issues.
Ambassador Tai met with the Czech Republic’s Minister of Industry and Trade Jozef Síkela; European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis; Bernd Lange, Chair of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee; France’s Minister for Foreign Trade Olivier Becht; Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell; Ireland’s Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation Dara Calleary; the Republic of Estonia’s Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Kristjan Järvan; the Republic of Latvia’s Parliamentary Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica; and Lithuania’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Jovita Neliupšienė
In her bilateral meetings, as well as during the broader meeting of ministers, Ambassador Tai emphasized the United States’ commitment to strengthening the U.S.-EU economic and trade relationship and the need for candid conversations on key issues. She also reiterated the United States’ commitment to pursuing a high-ambition global arrangement with the European Union to address carbon intensity and overcapacity in the steel and aluminum industries.
Ambassador Tai heard feedback on the Inflation Reduction Act, and highlighted that the legislation represents a historic investment in clean energy and green technology. She noted the enthusiasm among partners to engage on the newly-created U.S.-EU Task Force on the Inflation Reduction Act, which is set to hold its first meeting later this week.
Ambassador Tai also noted her desire to achieve meaningful results for the December ministerial meeting of the Trade and Technology Council. The TTC represents a key pillar of transatlantic collaboration and the United States looks forward to continuing this work alongside our European partners.
Finally, Ambassador Tai thanked the EU and its member states for their leadership in the aftermath of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and pledged continued U.S. solidarity through the winter months ahead.
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