MANCHESTER – Friday, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) and Chair of the SFRC Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, hosted a fireside chat at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) with the Ambassador of the European Union to the United States, Stavros Lambrinidis, on transatlantic relations. One of the most important bilateral relationships in the world, the U.S. and EU share robust diplomatic, economic and military ties. During the event, Senator Shaheen and Ambassador Lambrinidis discussed the long and enduring relationship between the two parties and its future, the two parties’ commitment to core values like freedom, democracy and security and the importance of the partnership between the parties in addressing global challenges.

“I want to welcome Ambassador Lambrinidis to New Hampshire and thank him for joining me for today’s discussion highlighting the importance of strengthened ties between the United States and the European Union. Both the U.S. and EU face serious, complex global challenges – from Russia’s aggressive and belligerent behavior toward Ukraine to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which remains a danger to our nations’ public health and economies,” said Shaheen. “As Chair of the of the SFRC Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, I will continue to be a strong supporter of the transatlantic alliance between the U.S. and EU, which is more important today than ever. Thank you to Southern New Hampshire University for organizing this important conversation.”

Later, Senator Shaheen and Ambassador Lambrinidis visited Jewell Instruments in Manchester to highlight the importance of New Hampshire’s critical trade relationship with the EU. The EU is a vital trade and investment partner for the state, with exports from New Hampshire to the EU totaling nearly $3 billion and helping to support thousands of jobs. During the visit, Shaheen and Ambassador Lambrinidis toured the facility and discussed how New Hampshire and the EU can continue to strengthen their strong economic ties, including through initiatives like the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP), which Shaheen helped create to assist New Hampshire businesses increase exports and better reach international markets. Senator Shaheen and Ambassador Lambrinidis were also joined by state commerce officials and manufacturing industry stakeholders.

Shaheen helped to create the STEP pilot program in 2010 to help small businesses enter new markets, access export financing and attend trade missions. The program was fully authorized by Shaheen’s small business trade amendment, which was signed into law in 2016. Senator Shaheen has prioritized efforts in Congress to help small businesses boost their exports and was also the first New Hampshire Governor to lead trade missions outside of North America.

“I’m glad to have had the opportunity to visit Jewell Instruments in Manchester today with Ambassador Lambrinidis to highlight the importance of trade to New Hampshire’s economic vitality and our state’s important trade ties with the European Union. Each year, New Hampshire exports billions of dollars in products to the EU, sustaining thousands of jobs and companies, many of them small businesses like Jewell,” said Shaheen. “Building on this progress will be especially important in the months and years ahead to help our state fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why I’m eager to use my positions on the Europe Subcommittee and Small Business Committee to further strength economic growth facilitated by trade between New Hampshire and the EU, and will continue to support programs like STEP that help Granite State businesses expand their reach into the international marketplace.”

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