WASHINGTON, May 9 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry congratulated members of the European Union on the occasion of Europe Day on Friday.
In his congratulatory message to the EU, Kerry reflected on America's partnership with Europe: "We look back in pride on the miles we've traveled together. Yet we must also look forward to the challenges that lie ahead."
In a nod to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, Kerry said:
"We stand by our eastern partners in their sovereign right to choose their political and economic associations, and chart their own futures. And once again, our strength will come from our unity. As President Obama reaffirmed in Brussels, following the 2014 U.S.-EU Summit, 'Europe, including the European Union, is the cornerstone of our engagement around the globe. We are more secure and more prosperous -- the world is safer and more just -- when Europe and America stand as one.'"
