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He praised recent EU investment in new security and defense initiatives, such as the Permanent Structured Cooperation and the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence, which, he pointed out, involve \u201ctens of billions of euros.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the EU was \u201cdoing OK\u201d in tackling the twin threats posed by cyberwarfare and terrorism, he conceded that there is \u201can enormous amount still to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One example, he said, involves addressing artificial intelligence. This could be a force for both good and bad, he suggested, but the EU has been \u201cslow\u201d in responding to the challenges posed by AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
King\u2019s comments were echoed by Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO secretary general from 2004-2009, who said he also hopes that, post Brexit, the EU and U.K. will enjoy the \u201cclosest possible cooperation\u201d on defense and security issues. \u201cYes, we all want the EU to take more responsibility in the defense sphere, but you have to ask: \u2018What is European defense without the U.K.?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both were speaking during \u201cA Brave New World,\u201d a debate organized by Friends of Europe, a leading Brussels-based think tank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elsewhere, a leading U.K.-based academic warned that the \u201cSalzburg impasse\u201d puts EU-U.K. security cooperation at risk. Last week\u2019s summit of EU leaders in Salzburg ended acrimoniously with the EU saying May\u2019s trade proposals \u201cwould not work.\u201d This has led May to demand \u201cmore respect\u201d from the EU side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos, a professor at the University of London, said that \u201creaching a new security agreement independently of the main Brexit negotiations will be easier said than done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe threat of a \u2018no deal\u2019 Brexit would seriously disrupt U.K. and EU capabilities in the fight against terrorism and organized crime, at a time when the EU is committed to stepping up its efforts to improve judicial and police cooperation in Europe,” he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking separately, Gordon Sondland, the new U.S. ambassador to the EU, has pledged to work with the EU \u201chonestly and constructively to address the global security threats that seek to destroy our shared history, values and culture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhether defeating the Islamic State, countering North Korea\u2019s belligerency or ensuring energy supplies will never be used for political coercion, we will stand together,” the diplomat said. “There are a wealth of issues we can tackle together. From malign Russian activity (ranging from disinformation campaigns to invasion and occupation of sovereign nations), to data privacy, to Iran \u2014 yes, even Iran \u2014 we work best when we work in tandem.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The European Union security chief has called for the \u201cclosest possible cooperation\u201d on defense and security issues after the U.K. leaves the 28-member bloc.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":44384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":46,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[160,46,11,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3377],"class_list":["post-21782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-europe","category-global","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"AWBWW53IBBGJ5GUFBHSR5PMXVA","arc_canonical_url":"\/global\/europe\/2018\/09\/25\/top-eu-security-chief-emphasizes-shared-self-interest-in-defense-cooperation-after-brexit\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n