​The first session of the EU-US Senior Officials Meeting, dedicated to internal affairs, was held on the 14th of April, with the work continuing on the Justice dimension the following day. 

The Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union chaired the European side, with the participation of the European Commission, the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, the European Union External Service and Europol. On the American side, representatives of the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and Department of State participated. 

The meeting took place in a very cordial atmosphere and the dialogue was extremely fruitful, reiterating the importance on both sides of transatlantic cooperation. 

Ways to strengthen the already existing and essential cooperation in the fight against terrorism and other security threats were discussed, such as cooperation against other forms of ideologically motivated violent extremism and deepening joint action to combat child sexual abuse. Challenges to mobility caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, cooperation on migration, notably in its external dimension, and progress towards achieving full reciprocity in visa policy were other issues on the agenda, as well as common approaches to promoting resilient democratic processes, internally and externally, including countering disinformation and external interference. Ongoing actions and developments, including at the level of the legislative framework, were shared and the political will to pursue further dialogues and forms of cooperation in each of these areas of shared common interest was reiterated. The vital importance of ensuring effective exchange of information in all areas relevant to collective security was stressed. 

The dialogue at the highest political level will continue at the June Ministerial meeting, in Lisbon.​