MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The European Union special representative for human rights recently visited the U.S. State Department, a department the Trump administration has substantially reshaped. We wanted to understand whether Kajsa Ollongren believes the U.S. under President Trump remains an advocate for global human rights.
What's the goal for your trip here to Washington, D.C.? I understand it's your first in this particular role, but what's the goal for this trip?
KAJSA OLLONGREN: The purpose is to show that we as the European Union, we want in this partnership that we have with the United States, we want to keep engaging. The United States, for us, was always, you know, the big fighter for democracy around the world. I think we championed many human rights together. So the purpose of my visit is to find, you know, where we can continue this engagement. I think it's really worth it, despite the differences that we may have.
MARTIN: And what about those differences? I mean, I think it's not a secret that the Trump administration has a different view of human rights and the priority that human rights should play in foreign policy than prior administrations did.
OLLONGREN: Yes. But I'm really grateful that we can discuss it. I think we can engage on human rights in various parts of the world. We see very much eye to eye on, for instance, the Ukrainian children that have been abducted and forcefully displaced. So I'm very eager to identify those topics where we can continue our cooperation despite the differences.
MARTIN: So let me ask you about Gaza. The president's Board of Peace - his idea was to create this panel to oversee rebuilding in Gaza. Since then, he's suggested he wants to expand its mission globally, perhaps into some sort of, like, quasi-U.N. Security Council. Do you envision the Board of Peace having a serious role?
OLLONGREN: Since the ceasefire in Gaza, there is still a lot that needs to be done. First of all, the ceasefire has not been completely respected. And second of all, we're still struggling with, you know, the access to Gaza for humanitarian aid and for everything that needs to be done in rebuilding Gaza and getting the education system running.
And I think that the Board of Peace and the original idea that also was - finds its base in a resolution in the U.N. is important to be able to take the steps that are also in the 20-point peace plan. But I think, for us, it's important that it's really entirely focused on the situation in Gaza. We do not see a role for the Board of Peace that is broader than that.
MARTIN: You have arrived in Washington at a very interesting time. I mean, as this military operation, war in Iran has begun, there have already been civilian casualties. I know that there is some disagreement in Europe...
OLLONGREN: Yes.
MARTIN: ...About the wisdom of this approach. Do you have a message about this?
OLLONGREN: We saw that this was a murderous regime that turned against its own citizens. We saw the killings, the mass killings that happened during the protests. So there is nobody in Europe that is sad about the decapitation of the leadership in Iran. But what we are very concerned of is, where will this lead? Iran is, you know, indiscriminately attacking other countries including Cyprus, EU member state, including Turkey, a NATO ally. So it affects us.
The European countries were not consulted by Israel and the U.S. when the war started. So, of course, now we have to relate to a geopolitical reality. We see with great concern what is happening now in Lebanon - where we had just entered a phase of more stability and disarmament of Hezbollah - because Iran is now, of course, engaging its proxies again. So this is a potentially very, very dangerous escalation. And that is, I think, where the European Union is united, in our effort to see whatever we can do to diffuse this and to de-escalate.
MARTIN: Well, thank you so much for talking with us.
OLLONGREN: Thank you.
MARTIN: That's Kajsa Ollongren. She's the E.U. special representative for human rights. We reached her during her trip to Washington, D.C. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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