From Laura Meckler, WSJ:

The White House said Tuesday that President Barack Obama will attend a summit with leaders of the European Union and a NATO summit, both in Portugal this November.

During the NATO meeting on Nov. 19-20, allies will focus on the war in Afghanistan and “ways to revitalize the Alliance to meet 21st threats and challenges,” the White House said. In all, 27 allied leaders and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen are scheduled to attend.

The decision to attend the EU summit comes after Obama disappointed some Europeans by opting against a visit to Spain in May for what the Spanish had hoped would be the annual U.S.-EU summit in Madrid. Early this year, a European foreign minister told the Journal that the White House was considering rescheduling the summit for the fall, when he was in Portugal anyway for the NATO meeting.

The U.S.-EU summit is now planned for Nov. 20 in Lisbon and will include leaders of the European Union, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. In a statement, the White House praised the U.S.-EU relationship, saying their work together on the economy, global security and human rights is essential. Separately, the European Union also praised the relationship and said the meeting had been scheduled at a mutually convenient date and venue.

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