Mr. President, thank you for that welcome.  It was a delight to have you in Washington and at the White House.  And it’s a great honor -- and I might add, a privilege -- to be able to address such an esteemed body.  I served in a parliament that only had 535 members total.  This is even a greater honor.

...As you already know, ladies and gentlemen, not only am I pleased to be back here in Brussels for the second time as Vice President -- as you probably know, some American politicians and American journalists refer to Washington, DC as the “capital of the free world.”  But it seems to me that this great city, which boasts 1,000 years of history and which serves as the capital of Belgium, the home of the European Union, and the headquarters for NATO, this city has its own legitimate claim to that title.
 
As a lawmaker for more than 36 years in our Parliament, I feel particularly honored to address the European Parliament.  President Obama and I were the first running mates in the last 50 years in America to make it to the White House from our legislative bodies.  So we both come to our executive jobs with a deep appreciation for the work you do here in the bastion of European democracy.

Together with my former colleagues in the United States Congress, you and I represent more than 800 million people.  Stop and think about that for a moment:  two elected bodies that shape the laws for almost one-eighth of the planet’s population.  That’s truly remarkable.

Let me state it as plainly as I can:  The Obama-Biden administration has no doubt about the need for and strongly supports a vibrant European Union.  We believe it’s absolutely essential to American prosperity and long-term security.  So have no doubt about that.

Folks, 65 years ago this week, less than 200 kilometers south of here, Nazi leaders signed an unconditional surrender that brought an end to the Second World War in Europe.

On that joyous day -- May 8, 1945 -- this continent lay in ruins, ravaged twice by total wars in less than 30 years.

As President Obama said in Prague a little more than a year ago, a strong Europe makes a stronger partner for the United States, and we need strong partners.  That is why we will do everything we can to support this great endeavor of yours.  Because the past 65 years have shown that when Americans and Europeans devote their energies to common purpose, there is almost nothing we are unable to accomplish.

To those skeptics who, in spite of all these accomplishments, continue to question the state of transatlantic relationships or my country’s attitude toward a united Europe, my answer is this:  Even if the United States and the nations all of you represent were not united by shared values and common heritage of many millions of our citizens, myself included, our global interests alone would inexorably bind us together.

The relationship between my country and Europe is today as strong, and as important, as all of us -- to all of us as it has ever been.