In his first address to G7 leaders, Joe Biden severely criticized Russia, Iran and China.

United States President Joe Biden He stressed on Friday the importance of collaboration with allied countries during a speech to the leaders of the G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and United Kingdom, in addition to the United States) at the Munich Security Conference. During his first appearance before the international community after his inauguration, the president sent a message whose main premise was to break with the isolationist policy marked by his predecessor, Donald Trump.

“The transatlantic alliance is back. America is back, ”Biden said. “I’m a man of my word. I speak to you today as President of the United States, at the very beginning of my administration, and I want to send this message: the transatlantic alliance is back. And we do. let’s not look back, ”he said. appearance, Biden stressed that China, Iran and Russia are the big “competitors” of the model which defends the Atlantic Alliance.

As for the Asian giant, he expressed. “We must prepare for a long-term strategic competition with China,” the president said. “It is going to be difficult. This is what I expect and this is what I want, ”he added, before asking Beijing to“ play by the same rules ”as the rest of the world.

“We must respond to the economic abuse and coercion from the Chinese government that is obstructing the foundations of the international economic system. How the United States, Europe and Asia decide to work together to secure peace and defend our common values ​​will be one of the most important efforts we will carry out, ”he said. “We must protect individual property and the creative genius derived from the exchange of ideas in a free and open society,” he added.

He also criticized Russia: He called on the Kremlin to refrain from resorting to intimidation tactics and to allow countries to decide freely and “without threats” about their own future.

“Their leaders try to portray us as if we are as corrupt as they are. But the world, including Russian citizens themselves, knows that is not true, “Biden said, before accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying” to weaken the European project. and transatlantic unity “, because “It is much easier for the Kremlin to intimidate individual states than it is to negotiate with a united community.”

“The challenges with Russia are different from those with China, but they are just as important. It is not a confrontation between East and West. We want a future where countries can choose their path without threats. We cannot go back to the blocks of the cold warAdded the president, who claimed the territorial integrity of Ukraine in the conflict between Kiev and the self-proclaimed pro-Russian republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.

Additionally, Biden said on Friday that it was imperative that the United States work with other world powers to curb Iran’s “destabilizing activities” in the Middle East.

“We are ready to resume negotiations with the 5 + 1 group on the Iranian nuclear program,” he said. “We also have to deal with the destabilizing activities of Iran, and we will work closely with our partners in Europe and elsewhere as we move forward,” he added.

On the other hand, Biden stressed to his allies the importance of strengthening the transatlantic alliance and backed up his words with a pledge to uphold NATO’s Mutual Defense Guarantee, known as Article 5, which former President Donald Trump initially refused to do when he was president. “We will keep faith in Article 5,” Biden said. “It’s a guarantee. An attack on one is an attack on all. This is our unshakeable vow ”.

As an example, Biden has confirmed that he has ended the order issued by Trump to withdraw the US contingent from Germany, one of the foundations of the US military presence in Europe.

“Our relationship has endured and developed over the years because it is rooted in the richness of our shared democratic values. They are not transactional. They are not exclusive. They are based on a vision of the future in which every voice counts. Where the rights of all are protected and the rule of law is defended, ”said the president.

“The United States will work closely with our European partners and all countries on the continent.”the US president said in a speech in which he described a “turning point” in the history of global progress “among those who argue that, given all the challenges we face – from the fourth industrial revolution to a pandemic world – autocracy is the best way forward and those who understand that democracy is essential to meet these challenges “

In response, Biden offered a wholehearted defense of democratic values. “We have to show that democracies can deliver good results. This is our mission, in unity. Democracy is not the result of chance. We must defend it. You have to fight for it, cherish it, renew it. I believe with every fiber of my being that democracy must prevail. We must show that our model is not a relic ”, declared the American president.

With information from EuropaPress and AFP

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