European Union (EU) Ambassador to the United States John Bruton declared the EU as, not only one of the U.S.’s most important partners, but the state of Georgia’s as well during a visit to Emory in September.

Ambassador Bruton’s visit began with a meeting with President James Wagner, who delivered words of welcome before the Halle Distinguished Fellow luncheon where Bruton gave a lecture to a packed room.

As the Irish prime minister from 1994-1997, Ambassador Bruton helped transform the Irish economy into the “Celtic Tiger,” one of the fastest growing economies in the world. He presided over a successful Irish EU presidency in 1996 and was deeply involved in the Northern Irish Peace process that lead to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. In 2004, he resigned from his post as vice president of the European People’s Party for his current position as ambassador.

During the luncheon lecture, Ambassador Bruton offered an overview of the role of the EU as a “guarantor of democracy” and explained how it makes decisions, how it differs from the U.S. system, and its importance to the U.S. and the state of Georgia. He added that 138,000 people in Georgia work for companies that originate in the EU, while the EU invests in each of the state’s counties.

“Georgia’s relationship with the EU is more important than its economic relationship with Japan, China, or India. Georgia exports five times more exports to the EU than to China or India,” he said. “While relationships with India and China will undoubtedly be important in the future, we don’t live in the future. We live in the present, and the EU is exceptionally important now.”