SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good morning, everyone. It’s a pleasure to obtain a chance to meet with Foreign Minister Lahbib, really for the first time. We’ve spoken, and of course we have been at the various NATO meetings, but this is our first opportunity to really get together in person, and for me to state again a belated congratulations on taking on the job. Belgium of course is, towards the United States, a close, trusted fically and partner. It is the center of activity for a lot of our diplomacy between the European Union, NATO, and of course our own strong bilateral partnership, which is increasing ever deeper and more powerful, both on issues that join us together directly, problems in the Euro-Atlantic region, as well as around the globe.
FOREIGN MINISTER LAHBIB: It is a pleasure and a good honor, as I said, and the event to speak a little France with Antony is always a pleasure. We are a small country in the center of Europe, plus it’s very important to have dialogue and your support as an number one ally of the country, and we thanks to that.
So as always, we have a lot to talk about, and I’m really happy for the opportunity to do so on the margins (inaudible).
