国际英语新闻：EU-U.S. summit targets global challenges

LISBON, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The EU-U.S. summit scheduled for Saturday will focus on global challenges such as the economic recovery, climate change, security and development cooperation.

According to a press briefing on Friday, a range of foreign policy issues such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and the Middle East will also be addressed at the meeting.

The EU will be represented by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, assisted by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, while the United States will be represented by President Barack Obama, assisted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

This will be the first EU-U.S. summit since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty. EU officials said that new impetus would be given to the Transatlantic Economic Council, the EU-U.S. Energy Council and the EU-U.S. Development Dialogue.

Barroso said he was looking forward to a very "constructive" summit with President Obama in Lisbon, describing the transatlantic friendship as "more important than ever."

Barroso said that the meeting will focus on concrete ways to boost economic growth and create jobs. "For that, we need to dismantle remaining obstacles in our multi-trillion transatlantic market, cooperate more on green, clean and emerging technologies, and work even more closely on global challenges," he stressed.

Van Rompuy said he believed the EU-U.S. summit is an "excellent opportunity" to discuss the current global economic and employment challenges, following last week's G20 meeting in Seoul.

"I will underline that fundamentals of the economy of the European Union are sound, with respectable levels of economic growth, low inflation, a current account of the balance of payments in equilibrium, and improved prospect in 2011 for jobs," Van Rompuy said.

Leaders from the two sides would highlight Transatlantic cooperation on security, in particular cyber security, while Iran, Sudan and the Middle East peace process will also be discussed.