At Brussels Forum, Shaheen Highlights Need to Strengthen Transatlantic Cooperation on Security Challenges
**Forum takes places as Belgian and French Officials Capture Paris Attacks Suspect**
(Brussels, Belgium) – Today at the Brussels Forum, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the lead Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, participated in a discussion examining the security challenges facing the Europe and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies including the United States. The Panel titled, “A Grave New World: Future Global Security Challenges” was moderated by Contributing Writer to the Daily Beast, Ms. Kim Dozier and the panelists included, the President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
The panel took questions from the audience and discussed the terrorist threat posed by ISIS, the Syrian civil war, the ongoing migration crisis and Russia’s continued aggression. Shaheen highlighted the importance of strengthening transatlantic cooperation to confront shared challenges. The entire panel discussion can be watched here.
During the forum, news broke of the capture of Salah Abdeslam, one of the key suspects in last year’s terrorist attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks. After the arrest, Shaheen released the following statement:
“The tragic and senseless attacks in Paris by ISIS strengthened the resolve of the United States and our allies to defeat violent extremism. Abdeslam’s arrest sends the message to terrorists around the world that they cannot hide and that it’s only a matter of time before they answer for their heinous crimes. I want to congratulate French and Belgian investigators and law enforcement on their diligent work that led to this arrest. I look forward to continuing my conversations here in Brussels with European leaders on our joint efforts to end the scourge of violent extremism.”
Following the forum on Monday, Shaheen will depart for Estonia where she will meet with Estonian officials on coordinated cyber security efforts and improving the alliance’s defenses against Russian aggression.
