Convergence and Divergence in EU-US Relations: The Context and Issues

The EU–US relations can be explained from the vantage point of different outlooks. While a culture–based outlook argues that common cultural and civilizational infrastructures drive the EU and the US towards adopting similar and concerted views on international issues, a policy–based outlook believes that both the EU and the US are committed to democratic values, and their common political and value foundations lead to coordination between their stances, including with regard to peace among liberal countries and war against authoritarian regimes. The third outlook, based on realism and power politics, argues that national interests lie at the heart of the international system and policies and that power is the main instrument for attaining goals. According to this outlook, the EU and the US opt for converging positions only on those issues where and when their respective national interests so require. The present article will try to provide a theoretical framework for the intra-atlantic and transatlantic relations, and on that basis will look into the convergence and divergence of outlooks and policies in three areas: political-security relations (intra-atlantic); international relations and economic relations (transatlantic). The article will also have a look at Iran’s outlook with regard to transatlantic relations.