ms. mogherini on the subject of the trans-atlantic bond in an age of complexity and she and karen will lead a conversation with the audience. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the e.u. high representative for foreign affairs, federica mogherini. >> thank you very much for the memories. for the warm welcome, and also for the joint invitation. it's a pleasure to be back here in brookings. actually, i was in, i think, in another room next door less than a year ago. it's a pleasure to meet again, friends. not only at brookings. i have to say my student, a fellow in 2007, was one of the best and most important experiences of my life, and i would say that shows that the fellowship works. but coming here i realized that the first time i traveled to america, i was 28. and that was just after 9/11. and all europeans felt very strong sense of solidarity at that time. all americans in our hearts and with our minds. and i remember very well that during my visit that was a private trip i was very much impressed by the sense of pride and unity of the american people in those days after the attacks. an

ms. mogherini, as i said previously italy's minister of foreign affairs.nt from 230008 to 2014. she was the head of the italian delegation to the nato parliamentary assembly. and previously been a member of the parliamentary assembly of the council. on europe. she's held many positions in the foreign policy field in italian politics. she has also been a fellow of the german marshall fund for the united states. so that plains her rise to a position of such great importance. karen donfried, as i said is the president of the german marshall fund. she is a former colleague. she served most recently as special assistant to the president and senior director for european affairs on the national security council. at the white house. where she was president obama's principal adviser on europe and led the inter-agency process on development and implementation of the president's policy toward european affairs. we'll have an address from ms. ms. ms. mogherini on the transatlantic bond in an age of complexity and she and karen will then lead a conversation with her and