06.09.2024: Baerbock talks to Israeli ministers during Middle East trip
Tel Aviv (dpa) – German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is continuing her Middle East crisis talks in Israel following visits to Saudi Arabia and Jordan. In Tel Aviv she has met with her counterpart Israel Katz and Defence Minister Joav Galant. The talks are likely to revolve around the still faltering efforts to mediate an agreement between Israel and the Islamist Hamas group on a ceasefire and hostage release. Baerbock is also expected to talk about the situation faced by the civilian population in the Gaza Strip and the outbreak of violence in the West Bank. This afternoon, the minister plans to meet with Mohammed Mustafa, the prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority, in Ramallah in the West Bank.
While in the Jordanian capital Amman yesterday, the minister said that Israel was “the occupying power in the West Bank and obliged under the Geneva Convention to uphold law and order rather than jeopardise it”. She added: “This explicitly includes protecting the population from attacks by violent, radical settlers.”
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05.09.2024: Baerbock begins trip to Middle East in Saudi Arabia
Riyadh (dpa) – Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has begun her two-day trip to the Middle East with crisis talks in Saudi Arabia. In the morning she met with her counterpart Faisal bin Farhan in the capital Riyadh. According to the Federal Foreign Office, the dramatic situation in the region was to be discussed during the meeting, as well as the ongoing attacks on international shipping by the Iran-allied Houthi militia in Yemen. Afterwards, Baerbock will visit Jordan. The talks there with Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi will focus particularly on the coordination of humanitarian aid for the people in the Gaza Strip. In the evening, the German foreign minister will travel on to Israel, where she plans to hold talks on Friday. This is already Baerbock’s ninth visit to Israel since the violent Hamas attack on the country on 7 October last year, since which time she has travelled to the region a total of eleven times.
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04.09.2024: State Secretary Jennifer Morgan visits South Africa
Berlin (d.de) – Jennifer Morgan, state secretary at Germany’s Federal Foreign Office and special envoy for international climate action, is visiting South Africa to gain a comprehensive impression of climate policy, the energy transition and the associated structural transformation in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and rural regions. “South Arica is a crucial global partner in foreign and climate policy and a pioneer of the energy transition on the African continent,” said Morgan. At the same time, “climate change in South Africa has long been a bitter reality. Water crises, droughts and floods are not just scenarios, but current challenges.” The visit aims to further intensify international climate cooperation with South Africa.
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03.09.2024: Flasbarth attends African Hydrogen Summit in Windhoek
Windhoek (d.de) – State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth from Germany’s Development Ministry will be taking part in the first Global African Hydrogen Summit (GAh2S) in the Namibian capital Windhoek from 3 to 5 September 2024. While in Namibia, he will also hold bilateral talks on the energy partnership. Flasbarth will also visit South Africa to discuss the further development of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). “Namibia and South Africa have huge potential for renewable energy,” he said. He added that this would help Germany with its energy supply in future, and that “Namibia and South Africa will profit from the expansion of renewable energies and the establishment of a green hydrogen industry because that will stabilise the country’s energy supply and create urgently needed jobs and local income”.
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02.09.2024: Baerbock pays tribute to friendship with Poland
Berlin (dpa) – 85 years after Germany invaded Poland, marking the start of the Second World War, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has paid tribute to the German-Polish friendship, calling it a great accomplishment. At an event in Berlin to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the German invasion, Baerbock said that it was commonplace nowadays for Poles and Germans “to live a joint future”. “After all, it was not least thanks to the courage and vision of our Polish neighbours that a future – not opposing one another, but with one another – was opened up to us Germans,” she said.
85 years ago, on 1 September 1939, Nazi Germany invaded the Republic of Poland and began the Second World War. Six years of occupation and tyranny followed, costing millions their lives. More than five million people died in Poland – including three million Polish Jews. In view of the “inconceivable crimes that Germans committed in Poland,” today’s friendship could “by no means be taken for granted,” stressed Baerbock.
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30.08.2024: EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels
Brussels (dpa / d.de) – After the summer break, EU foreign ministers met in Brussels to discuss support for Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. For the first time in five years, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was also a guest at the consultations.
Chief diplomat Josep Borrell suggested at the meeting that sanctions should be imposed on Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. They are accused of human rights violations and incitement to hatred. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock did not rule out German approval of the plans, saying that any decision was to be guided solely by the legal provisions and the accusations against the politicians. Baerbock said a case-by-case assessment would have to be carried out as to whether there were sufficient grounds for sanctions to be imposed.
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29.08.2024: Cooperation with Japan: Navy visits Hamburg
Hamburg (dpa) – The Japanese Navy vessels “Kashima” and “Shimakaze” are headed for the Port of Hamburg. The training fleet will be arriving from Valencia and will depart Hamburg for the UK on 2 September. Roughly 650 crew members are on board, including some 190 cadets who are undergoing training. Tobias Lindner, minister of state at Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, had visited Japan a few days ago. The reason for his trip was to visit the German frigate “Baden-Württemberg” and the “Frankfurt am Main” supply vessel involved in the 2024 Indo-Pacific Deployment in Tokyo. While in Japan, Lindner had held talks on the security situation in Europe and the Indo-Pacific and engaged in exchange with representatives of think tanks and science.
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28.08.2024: UK Prime Minister Starmer in Berlin
Berlin (dpa) – The UK’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants to improve post-Brexit relations with Europe. After only around two months in office, he is in Berlin for his inaugural visit to Germany today and will be received by Federal President Steinmeier and Federal Chancellor Scholz. “We have a once in a generation opportunity to reset our relationship with Europe,” Starmer stated ahead of his visit.
Though Starmer has no plans to reverse his country’s exit from the EU, he does hope for better relations. According to a Downing Street press release, Starmer will meet Scholz to launch negotiations on a bilateral treaty to boost business and trade, deepen defence and security cooperation and increase joint action on illegal migration.
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27.08.2024: 2024 Goethe Medals to be awarded in Weimar
Weimar (dpa) – On 28 August, three cultural professionals from Europe and Latin America will be awarded the Goethe Medal at Weimar City Palace. The Medals will be awarded to the literary translator and interpreter Claudia Cabrera from Mexico, the cultural manager Iskra Geshoska from North Macedonia and the theatre director Carmen Romero Quero from Chile. The Goethe Medal is the most important award of Germany’s foreign cultural policy. Traditionally, the awards are presented in Weimar on the birthday of the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).
Since 1996, Claudia Cabrera from Mexico has translated more than 60 novels, plays and non-fiction books by German-speaking authors, including works by Heiner Müller, Franz Kafka and Robert Musil. Her current project is a new translation of a work written in exile by Anna Seghers, who lived in Mexico after fleeing from the Nazis. Iskra Geshoska has created important platforms for the independent cultural scene in North Macedonia and is the co-founder of the Festival of Critical Culture CRIC and of the Kooperativa network that promotes cultural exchange. As founder of the Teatro a Mil festival, the Chilean Carmen Romero Quero attracted the global avant-garde of the theatre world to Chile.
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23.08.2024: Germany announces new support for Africa to contain mpox
Berlin (dpa) – Germany is stepping up its efforts to prevent the further spread of mpox in Africa. A mobile laboratory to detect the virus is to be supplied to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Ministry of Development announced in Berlin. There are also plans to train more professionals to recognise symptoms of the disease and inform the public about preventive measures. According to the information provided, training of this kind was previously carried out in eastern Congo in June. “The African authorities have asked the international community for assistance. And this assistance has to be provided right away,” said Development Minister Svenja Schulze. This concerned not only vaccine doses, said Schulze, but also laboratory capacity, logistical support and advice to help the countries concerned contain the spread of the virus.
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22.08.2024: Scholz promises support for Moldova with EU accession
Chisinau (dpa) – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised the Republic of Moldova assistance on its path to joining the European Union. “Germany stands closely by Moldova’s side. We will support the Republic of Moldova to the best of our ability,” the chancellor said in Chisinau following a meeting with President Maia Sandu. Moldova was demonstrating a “remarkable will to reform,” he added, explaining that this was why Germany has been in favour of EU candidate status for Moldova and the start of accession talks this summer. The Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia have been candidate countries since December 2023. With targeted disinformation, the Kremlin was repeatedly attempting to intervene in Moldova’s affairs, especially ahead of the upcoming presidential election and an EU referendum in October, Sandu said. In this respect, Scholz fully supported his host. “Time and again, Moldova proves in remarkable fashion how resilient it is to these destabilisation attempts from abroad,” he said.
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21.08.2024: Lemke: 3.5 billion for climate action programme
Berlin (dpa) – Germany’s Environment Minister Steffi Lemke has announced that more than 3.5 billion euros have been made available for the Action Plan on Nature-based Solutions for Climate and Biodiversity by 2028. “The Action Plan is and remains the biggest funding programme to protect nature and the climate that Germany has ever had. In view of the advancing climate crisis, we must protect nature so that it can protect us,” said Lemke. Intact forests and floodplains, healthy soils and peatlands, clean seas and water bodies and urban and rural near-natural green spaces could remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it for the long term. The funding for the Action Plan that was agreed on last year will come from the Climate and Transformation Fund (CTF).
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20.08.2024: Minister Schulze travels to Pakistan
Berlin (d.de) – Germany’s Development Minister Svenja Schulze is travelling to Pakistan for a three-day visit. Her talks there will focus on the issue of sustainable and fair supply chains in the textile industry. Pakistan is a major producer of textiles. While in Pakistan, the minister will visit factories that manufacture textiles for the German market. Minister Schulze will be able to see for herself just how Germany’s Supply Chain Act affects people working in Pakistan’s textile businesses. To this end, she will meet with company representatives, employees, unions and Pakistani government representatives. Prior to her departure, Schulze said that sustainable textiles were important to most people in Germany, but that the Supply Chain Act was intended to help producers above all: “Workers in Pakistan have a right to humane working conditions, fair wages and environmentally friendly production that protects precious drinking water.”
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19.08.2024: Lemke welcomes EU Nature Restoration Law
Berlin (d.de) – German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke has expressly praised the EU’s Nature Restoration Law. “It is a big step towards securing our livelihoods,” the minister said. The Nature Restoration Law entered into force on Sunday, 18 August 2024. “The law aims to protect our nature so that it can protect us against the impacts of the climate crisis: agricultural landscapes can have more humus-rich soils, our forests can become more natural and resilient, rivers and their wetlands need more space,” said Lemke. According to the law, measures to strengthen ecosystems are to be implemented on 20 percent of the land and sea areas EU-wide. Certain important habitat types in poor condition are also to be restored – by at least 30 percent by 2030, 60 percent by 2040 and as much as 90 percent by 2050.
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16.08.2024: Germany to reinforce air defence with 600 new Patriot missiles from the USA
The USA has approved the sale to Germany of up to 600 Patriot missiles worth roughly five billion dollars. This is intended to strengthen Germany’s air defence capabilities, which according to new NATO defence plans are to be increased four-fold. The air defence system, which is one of the most modern in the world, is to help protect Germany against current and future threats and to improve cooperation with its NATO allies. Germany and other countries have recently been supplying Ukraine with a number of Patriot systems to protect the country against Russian air strikes.
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15.08.2024: German chancellor visits Moldova
Berlin (d.de) – Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be visiting the Republic of Moldova next week. While in Chișinău he will hold talks with both President Maia Sandu and Prime Minister Dorin Recean. The subject of the talks will be bilateral relations and security policy matters. The effects on Moldova of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine will also be discussed. Another focus of the talks is expected to be the country’s accession to the EU and Germany’s support for Moldova in the accession process.
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14.08.2024: Luftwaffe wants to step up cooperation with non-NATO countries
Berlin (dpa) – Germany’s air force, the Luftwaffe, is preparing for further military engagement beyond the borders of Europe following its biggest series of exercises in the Indo-Pacific to date. In cooperating with partners that are not NATO members “we all always learn something,” Luftwaffe inspector General Lieutenant Ingo Gerhartz told the German Press Agency following the completion of a first manoeuvre in India on Tuesday The ‘Pacific Skies’ exercises also took place in Alaska, off the coast of Hawaii, in Japan and in Australia.
“The engagement of the Bundeswehr and the Luftwaffe is by no means a flash in the pan in the Indo-Pacific. For us, the ‘Pitch Black’ exercise in Australia is the anchor for future manoeuvres,” Gerhartz said. “I can imagine us taking part in the ‘Pitch Black’ exercise in Australia every two years on a smaller scale and then perhaps relocating it on a larger scale to the Indo-Pacific so as to be able to train with other partners too.”
The German government has drawn up guidelines for its policy in the Indo-Pacific. The declared goal is to increase Germany’s commitment in this region of economic and strategic importance and to expand partnerships with ‘value partners’.
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13.08.2024: Germany calls for opposition to chemical weapons
Berlin (d.de) – 30 years after Germany signed up to the Chemical Weapons Convention, the German government is appealing to all states that are not yet signatories to the CWC to ratify or join the convention without delay. Chemical weapons are among the most terrible weapons ever to have been developed. That’s why Germany is committed to a world free of chemical weapons and to universal applicability of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). 12 August 2024 marked the 30th anniversary of Germany’s signing of the CWC.
Since 2023, all officially declared chemical weapons stocks have been destroyed under the supervision of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague. The goal of a world permanently free of chemical weapons has not yet been achieved, however. This has been shown not least by abhorrent chemical weapon deployments in the Syrian civil war and the use by Russia of chemicals – in violation of the CWC – in its war of aggression against Ukraine. This same applies to Russia’s deployment of nerve agents to poison opponents, as in the case of Alexei Navalny.
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12.08.2024: Chancellor telephones Netanyahu and urges de-escalation
Berlin (dpa) – In a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed great concern about the danger of a regional conflagration in the Middle East. At the same time, he made it clear that the German government firmly condemned the threats against Israel’s security issued by Iran, Hezbollah and others. It was now vital to break through the destructive spiral of retaliatory violence, reduce tensions and work constructively towards de-escalation, said the Chancellor. Scholz once again emphasised that the time had now come to finalise the agreement on the release of the hostages and a ceasefire. Numerous military objectives in the fight against Hamas had been achieved, said the Chancellor, while civilian casualties and human suffering in the Gaza Strip had been enormous.
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09.08.2024: German air force carries out exercises in India for the first time
New Delhi (dpa/d.de) – The German air force is conducting a joint exercise with Indian colleagues for the first time. The “Tarang Shakti Phase 1” manoeuvre – also involving the Spanish, French and British air forces – will take place from 6 to 13 August in the airspace of the country with the world’s biggest population of 1.4 billion. Luftwaffe Inspector General Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz said India was an important partner for Germany and Europe. On a visit to New Delhi in June 2023, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius proposed that the two countries engage in closer collaboration. The flights over India mark the end of the German armed forces “Pacific Skies 24” exercise series which has been running since mid-June, also taking place over Alaska, Japan, Australia and Hawaii.
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08.08.2024: Minister of State emphasises innocence of Cameroonian dissidents on 110th anniversary of their death
Duala/Berlin (AA/d.de) – Marking the 110th anniversary of the death of Cameroonians King Rudolf Duala Manga Bell and Adolf Ngoso Din, Minister of State Katja Keul emphasised that the two men who were executed by the German colonial administration in 1914 were now politically rehabilitated. The two members of the Duala people had campaigned peacefully – by means of a petition, for example – against measures taken by the German colonial administration to dispossess and expel their ethnic group. In order to put a stop to their efforts, charges of high treason were brought against them and their death sentences were enforced on 8 August 1914. Minister of State Keul said: “The innocence of King Rudolf Duala Manga Bell and Adolf Ngoso Din is undisputed. The death sentences imposed and carried out against the two men were therefore judicial murders. […] By political rehabilitating King Rudolf Duala Manga Bells and Adolf Ngoso Din, the Federal Government recognises their innocence and the injustice committed against them by the German colonial administration.”
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07.08.2024: Germany steps up efforts to meet climate targets
Berlin (d.de) – In order to meet ambitious national and international climate targets, the German government has adopted the key points of a carbon management strategy. This also provides for the storage of CO2 in the soil to be permitted in certain cases. In this way, unavoidable CO2 emissions can be captured using modern technologies before being released into the atmosphere. The sectors concerned include the cement and lime industry, parts of the basic chemicals industry, and waste incineration. By means of CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) and CCU (Carbon Capture and Utilisation), CO2 is captured and can then be stored.
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06.08.2024: Pistorius in Manila: closer cooperation agreed on armaments and training
Manila (dpa/BMVg/d.de) – Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has met Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for talks to discuss closer cooperation. The meeting with the head of state in the capital Manila on Monday also marked the end of Pistorius’ trip to the Indo-Pacific region, which began a week ago. The German government is expanding its involvement with partners in the region. In Manila it was announced that a military policy agreement would be concluded on training assistance and defence cooperation by the end of the year. “We intend to sign a bilateral inter-ministerial agreement shortly so as to inject fresh impetus into our relations in the various areas,” says Pistorius.
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05.08.2024: Germany joins UN Command to monitor the border between South and North Korea
Pyeongtaek (dpa/d.de) – Germany is a new member of the US-led UN Command (UNC) in South Korea with aim of contributing to stability in the region. This was officially announced last Friday with a military ceremony at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek on the South Korean side of the peninsula. Since the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, the UN Command has been tasked with ensuring that the ceasefire conditions negotiated at the time are honoured. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock commented: “In difficult times in particular, compliance with the rules-based international order is essential – because that’s what provides the basis for peaceful coexistence. Just as others are there to support us, we’re there to support others when they need us.”
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02.08.2024: Pistorius in South Korea
Seoul (dpa) – Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is continuing his trip in the Indo-Pacific region with a visit to South Korea, where he is looking to boost cooperation with partners who share the same political values. Pistorius landed in Seoul on Thursday. In talks with his South Korean counterpart Shin Won-sik, the two stated that they wished to cooperate even more closely in future in such areas as defence and cyber.
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01.08.2024: Bundestag President Bas visits Auschwitz-Birkenau
Berlin (d.de) Bärbel Bas, President of the Bundestag, is visiting the former Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland on 1 and 2 August. She is the first top representative of the Bundestag to commemorate the victims at Auschwitz. Bas will also be engaging in discussion with young Germans who are staying at the International Youth Meeting Centre in Oświęcim. Bas said: “Auschwitz reflects the rupture in the civilised world that was caused by Germany. At this site of the worst German crimes against humanity, I would like to commemorate all the people who were murdered there by the National Socialists: the Jews, the Poles, the members of other nations, the Sinti and Roma.”
On 2 August, Bärbel Bas will take part in the international commemoration of European Holocaust Remembrance Day for Sinti and Roma and give the commemorative speech. 80 years ago, on 2 August 1944, the last imprisoned Sinti and Roma were murdered in the gas chambers here.
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31.07.2024: Defence Minister Pistorius visits Pearl Harbor
Honolulu (dpa) – Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has visited the memorial erected on the water above the wreck of the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The ship sank after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941 with more than 1,000 sailors on board. During his visit, Pistorius emphasised Germany’s growing responsibility to protect international rules in the geopolitically important Indo-Pacific region. Stability and security in this part of the world and in Europe were closely linked, he said. “We are the third largest economy in the world and as such we have a responsibility along with many others,” he said. It was essential to stand up for the international rules-based order together with partners and ensure protection. Pistorius also met German soldiers who are taking part in the US-led naval manoeuvre Rimpac for the first time with two ships.
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30.07.2024: Germany boosts global pandemic fund
Berlin/Rio de Janeiro (BMZ/d.de) – Germany intends to support the global pandemic fund by contributing another 50 million euros. This was stated by Development Minister Svenja Schulze after the G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting in Rio de Janeiro. Founded in 2022 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fund supports poorer countries in responding more quickly to outbreaks of infection in order to prevent further pandemics. Svenja Schulze said: “How well protected we are when the next pandemic hits Germany also depends on laboratory capacity in Burkina Faso and Togo, and how well trained female doctors are in Cambodia.”
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29.07.2024 : Defence Minister Pistorius travels to the Pacific region
Berlin (d.de) – Federal Minister of Defence Pistorius visits the Pacific region. According to his ministry, he is expected to attend political talks and meetings with soldiers of the Federal Armed Forces in the US state of Hawaii, South Korea and the Philippines. According to Deutschlandfunk radio, Pistorius is planning a visit to the German frigate “Baden-Württemberg”, which is taking part in the multinational manoeuvre “Rimpac” together with the supply ship “Frankfurt am Main”. The exercise is being carried out around Hawaii as part of a series of manoeuvres currently taking place in Alaska, Japan, Australia and India.
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26.07.2024: Minister Schulze: we must not resign ourselves to accepting starvation in the world
Rio de Janeiro (dpa / d.de) – According to the United Nations, around 733 million people worldwide faced hunger in 2023. That’s one in eleven people and one in five in Africa, according to the UN World Food Report. The UN warns that the world will fail significantly to achieve the goal of ending hunger in all forms by 2030. Development Minister Schulze said in Rio de Janeiro: “Ending hunger in the world remains a major task that the international community must face up to. In a world where there is in fact enough food for everyone, we must not resign ourselves to accepting starvation.
The German Development Ministry BMZ invests two billion euros a year in the fight against hunger. Schulze also noted that there had been some positive achievements: “In addition to concerns, the report fortunately contains some encouraging information, too. This includes progress on gender equality: women are still significantly more affected by hunger than men, but the gap has narrowed.” And she emphasised: “Experience from South America and Brazil in particular indicates that the problem of hunger can be solved. Governments and political action can make a difference.”
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25.07.2024: Berlin and London aim to intensify military cooperation
Berlin (dpa) – Germany and the UK have agreed to engage in closer military cooperation. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and his new British counterpart John Healey signed a joint defence declaration to this effect in Berlin. “We want to put our relations on a new footing,” said Pistorius. The aim is to strengthen the defence industry in both countries and achieve closer cooperation in the development, production and procurement of weapons and ammunition, as well as establishing the same standards for weapons systems and ammunition. “This is one of the lessons we must learn from the war that Russia is waging against Ukraine,” added Pistorius. Healey said the declaration was a key step towards closer defence cooperation between the two countries, while also emphasising the importance of existing collaborative efforts. “We fight together, we train together and we drink beer together.”
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24.07.2024: Defence Minister Pistorius to receive British counterpart Healey
Berlin (dpa/d.de) – Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is to receive the new British Defence Secretary John Healey in Berlin. In addition to general questions about German-British cooperation in the area of security and defence, cooperation within NATO and engagement on the Alliance’s eastern flank, the main focus will be on providing support for Ukraine against the Russia war of aggression. The two ministers will also seek to discuss closer cooperation in defence matters.
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23.07.2023: Baerbock appeals to Israel after UN report
Brussels (dpa) – Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called on Israel to act in line with a UN legal opinion regarding its occupation policy. “Even though this advisory opinion is not binding, the Israeli government would be well advised to take it seriously,” she said on the sidelines of an EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels. Baerbock described the text of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague as “game-changing”. The report also indicated that the international community was responsible for a two-state solution, said Baerbock, adding that this was is the only way to guarantee that Palestinians and Israelis would be able to live together in peace in the future. The ICJ opinion states that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories is illegal and must be brought to an end as soon as possible.
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22.07.2024: Germany and Brazil consolidate collaboration on forest conservation
Berlin (d.de) – During a visit to Brazil, Development Minister Svenja Schulze has pledged Germany’s continued help in conserving the Amazon rainforest. “Germany will continue to actively support Brazil in conserving its forests,” said Schulze at a meeting with Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva, which was also attended by Norwegian Development Minister Anne Beathe Tvinnereim. Norway and Germany are among the most important supporters of Brazil’s commitment to forest conservation. Schulze emphasised the global importance of cooperation: “The Amazon rainforest is the world’s air conditioning system: without it, the human race would be much worse off.”
In addition to conserving intact forest, the restoration of destroyed forest is another key issue in Brazil. According to the German Development Ministry, this involves 55 million hectares of deforested and now fallow land – an area the size of France. Germany is contributing 15 million euros to a new Brazilian government reforestation fund (Floresta Viva), which raises private sector funding in addition to funds from international donors.
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19.07.2024: Children from destroyed hospital in Kyiv come to Germany
Berlin (dpa) – Following Russia’s missile attack on a building belonging to a children’s hospital in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, eight seriously ill children are to continue their treatment in German hospitals. The children are aged between only a few months and 15 years old and will be accompanied by ten close relatives on their way to Germany, the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of the Interior reported. Most of the children are receiving treatment for cancer. Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser said the missile attack on the hospital had once again showed the incomprehensible inhumanity with which Russian President Vladimir Putin was conducting his war against Ukraine.
According to the German government, almost 1150 military personnel and civilians from Ukraine have been brought to Germany for treatment since March 2022. In one of the heaviest attacks on Kyiv a rocket hit a building on the grounds of the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital. Two adults, including one doctor, were killed, and over 30 people were injured. In response to the dire situation in the children’s hospital, the German Federal Ministry Economic Cooperation and Development is providing €10m to help rebuild the facility.
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18.07.2024: Scholz attends Europe Summit in Oxford
Oxford (dpa) – Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz joined almost 50 other European leaders at the European Political Community summit in the United Kingdom. The informal group consists of the 27 members of the European Union and other countries on the continent which share common values. It last met two years ago, shortly after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. This meeting is taking place at Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Britain’s Prime Minister during the Second World War Winston Churchill, not far from the university city of Oxford. Russia’s war against Ukraine, migration and energy security were at the top of the agenda for the informal summit. The event is hosted by the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the United Kingdom’s new Labour government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
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17.07.2024: New education initiative in the Sahel region
Berlin (dpa) – The German government is teaming up with partners to provide school education for millions of children in Africa’s Sahel region. Development Minister Svenja Schulze, in her role as president of the Sahel Alliance, the largest donor platform for the region, has announced an education initiative aimed at more than two million girls and boys in the Sahel, where more than 40 percent of children are no longer able to go to school due to the threat posed by terrorist groups.
“Education is one of the most effective ways to counter the recruitment efforts of terrorist groups, because education gives young people prospects,” Schulze said at the end of the two-day meeting of the Sahel Alliance in Berlin. The Sahel states of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have suffered rampant violence at the hands of Islamist militant groups for years. All three countries have seen military coups. The Sahel Alliance was founded in 2017 by Germany, France and the EU to support Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad. It now has 27 members, including the USA, the World Bank and the African Development Bank. Germany is the fifth-largest donor, having invested 1.8 billion euros in 160 projects.
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16.07.2024: Germany invests in hydrogen projects
Berlin (dpa / d.de) – The German government is investing 4.6 billion euros in 23 future-oriented hydrogen projects. As the Economics Ministry in Berlin announced, funding is being made available for projects to generate green – that is to say climate-friendly – hydrogen and for its storage and transport. “By funding hydrogen projects, we are taking an important step towards a climate-neutral and sustainable economy in Europe and beyond,” explained Economics Minister Habeck. “Hydrogen pipelines will be the lifelines for industrial centres,” stressed Habeck.
The funded projects are also focusing on innovative storage solutions for efficient and safe storage and on up to 2,000 kilometres of transport infrastructure. Germany will have to import roughly two thirds of the hydrogen it needs, which is why transport is such an important issue. The German government believes that numerous international partnerships are the way forward. It has strategic energy partnerships with countries in South and West Africa, in South America and with Australia and Canada.
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15.07.2024: Baerbock travelling to Senegal and Ivory Coast
Berlin (dpa) – German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock hopes that deeper cooperation with Senegal and Ivory Coast will prevent the instability in the Sahel from spreading to the rest of the region. “If more countries in West Africa descend into instability, that will not only have dramatic consequences for the local population but also a direct impact on our security in Europe,” explained the minister ahead of a two-day visit to the two West African countries.
The people in Senegal, Ivory Coast and “other countries bordering the Sahel live under the constant threat that terror and violence from neighbouring countries will also seep into their societies,” the minister warned. She said that peaceful and democratic change was opening up new prospects for greater cooperation in all areas, whereas military coups in other parts of the region were blocking such prospects for the foreseeable future, adding that this was why she was looking at the entire spectrum of relations – political, economic and cultural – during her trip.
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12.07.2024: “Green” hydrogen supply agreement concluded
Berlin (dpa) – Germany is to import more than 250,000 tonnes of “green” ammonia in the coming years for the production of more climate-friendly hydrogen. According to the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs, a supply agreement to this effect for the years 2027 to 2033 was concluded with the company Fertiglobe in the United Arab Emirates: Fertiglobe will produce ammonia in Egypt using wind and solar energy, and this will be converted into green hydrogen in Germany – “green” because it is produced using renewable energy. The recently concluded supply contract was an important step in terms of Germany’s transformation as an industrial base, said Economics Minister Robert Habeck (photo). “The availability of low-cost green energy – now in the form of hydrogen, too – will continue to be an important location factor for industry in the future.”
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11.07.2024: USA and Germany agree on weapons stationing
Washington (dpa) – For the first time since the Cold War, the USA is planning to station weapons systems again in Germany that can reach Russia. From 2026, Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of significantly more than 2,000 kilometres, SM-6 anti-aircraft missiles and newly developed hypersonic weapons are to ensure better protection of NATO allies in Europe. This agreement was announced by the White House and the German government on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington. The weapons have a “significantly longer range than current land-based fires in Europe,” according to a joint statement. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised that Germany would meet its obligations as Europe’s largest economy. “This gives rise to a very special responsibility,” he said. “And I can state quite clearly here that we will, I will live up to this responsibility.”
From a base in Wiesbaden, NATO will in future coordinate weapons shipments and training activities for Ukraine. The member states formally agreed on what NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had announced a month ago.
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10.07.2024: NATO summit begins by sending signal to Ukraine
Washington (dpa) – At the start of the NATO summit in Washington, the USA, Germany and other partners have pledged Ukraine further military support. At a ceremonial act to mark the 75th anniversary of the defence alliance, US President Joe Biden announced that the NATO states were planning to send Kyiv additional equipment to defend against Russian air strikes. They had promised Kyiv not only Patriot systems but also dozens of tactical air defence systems, plus hundreds of additional anti-ballistic missiles. “75 years of NATO means 75 years of security, stability and peace. Germany will play an important role by taking the lead and strengthening the European pillar of our alliance,” declared German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Shortly before the NATO summit, Russia had launched major air strikes against Kyiv. Among other things, a large children’s hospital was hit by a missile.
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09.07.2024: Minister of State Keul visits Pacific islands
Berlin (d.de) – The Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, Katja Keul, plans to use her ten-day visit to Samoa, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea to underline the German Federal Government’s commitment to the whole Pacific island state region, with a particular focus on climate protection. Germany’s colonial history in the region will also be an important topic during the visit.
“It is in the Indo-Pacific that many of the great questions facing humanity in the 21st century will be resolved,” Keul said. She described the agenda for her visit as, “helping protect the climate and people’s existences, and also strengthening the rules-based international order, retaining cultural heritage and reappraising Germany’s colonial history in some island states.” The visit includes returning to Samoa a historic prow of a vessel from the collection of the Übersee Museum in Bremen. “This artefact is at last returning to where it belongs,” Kaul stated.
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08.07.2024: Defence minister attends military exercise in Alaska ahead of NATO summit
Fairbanks (dpa) – Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has visited German soldiers in Alaska before the start of the NATO summit. In Fairbanks, the minister learnt more about how the Arctic Defender 2024 exercise was progressing. Fighter pilots from several countries have joined pilots from the USA in German-led aerial warfare exercises according to NATO standards in Alaska. The exercise is based on the scenario of an attack on the Alliance, giving rise to a need for collective defence (Article 5), whereby an attack on one or more members of the Alliance is jointly repelled. The Luftwaffe, Germany’s Air Force, had begun the large-scale Pacific Skies 24 manoeuvre to deploy aircraft well beyond Europe’s borders in mid-June. The NATO summit, which will include festivities to mark the 75th anniversary of the defence alliance, will begin in Washington on Tuesday.
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05.07.2024: German Foreign Minister Baerbock emphasises NATO’s importance for Europe
Berlin (dpa) – Ahead of the summit to mark NATO’s 75th anniversary next week, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has emphasised the importance of the defence alliance. In a speech she gave in the German Bundestag, she called for a stronger role for Europe in view of the Russian attack on Ukraine and the position of the USA in the alliance: “NATO must become more European in order to remain transatlantic.” She also referred to the “epochal shift” in Germany, saying that it was “no flash in the pan” but a realignment “that will go beyond legislative terms, a permanent investment in our security and in our way of life of freedom, democracy and the rule of law“.
Next week will see a NATO summit in Washington to mark the 75th anniversary of the defence alliance. The leaders of the 32 member countries will discuss issues such as the Ukraine war, the strengthening of NATO’s own deterrent and defence capabilities and burden-sharing within the alliance. Baerbock said in the Bundestag that intensive discussions would take place at the summit on “how we can further expand our support for Ukraine”. She added that one thing should be clear: “Putin’s Russia will continue to pose the greatest threat to our security and freedom in Europe for the foreseeable future.”
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04.07.2024: Quality of life in Germany: people are for the most part content
Berlin (d.de) – People in Germany are for the most part content with their lives and their housing situations. This is shown by the “2024 Equivalence Report” published by the German government. Citizens in all districts, towns and cities were surveyed. The report also reveals that the differences between regions in the majority of those economic, social and other indicators investigated have decreased in recent years. Nonetheless, some considerable differences remain between regions in Germany, above all between urban and rural areas. The report sees the expected population decline as posing challenges, especially in structurally weak regions.
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03.07.2024: Germany investing in 6G research
Berlin (d.de) – Germany is driving research into 6G, the future mobile internet standard. German Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger has opened the 6G Conference in Berlin, where more than 900 participants from around the world will be discussing the latest developments and research projects in this area. According to the ministry, over 500 million euros have already been invested within the framework of a 6G research initiative since 2021. From 2025, the international standardisation and specification of 6G technologies will begin, with market launch expected to follow in 2030.
At the conference, Research Minister Stark-Watzinger also announced the start of the German-Canadian Eureka co-chair. For one year, Germany and Canada will co-chair the global network of 43 member countries dedicated to the funding of application-oriented research and innovation.
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02.07.2024: Baerbock praises National Security Strategy
Berlin (dpa) – A year after it was adopted, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has praised Germany’s first National Security Strategy. She said however that a paper alone would not make Germany safer. What was needed was trust that “we will take charge of our own security, and that we are also able to do so”. The National Security Strategy adopted by the German government in June 2023 combines for the first time all security-relevant elements – from the equipment of the German Army and the fight against disinformation and cyberattacks to climate change mitigation and disaster protection. Baerbock also advocated further investments in security and support for Ukraine, explaining that this would help not only Ukraine but “our own national security”, as well as the defence of peace and freedom.
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01.07.2024: Renewables cover 58 percent of Germany’s electricity consumption
Berlin/Stuttgart (dpa) – New half-year record for renewable electricity generation: in the first half of 2024, electricity produced from wind, solar, biomass and hydroelectric power covered around 58 percent of Germany’s total consumption. This was revealed by projections carried out by the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW). In the first half of 2023, renewables accounted for 52 percent of total consumption. Gross domestic electricity consumption totalled 261 billion kilowatt hours, putting it 0.3 percent below the previous year’s figure. The record shows that a secure and greenhouse gas-neutral electricity supply based on virtually 100 percent renewable energies, including hydrogen, can be achieved by 2035, stated ZSW CEO Frithjof Staiß. He added that this would provide a stable foundation for industry on its path to climate-neutral production.
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28.06.2024: German Federal Government extends military peacekeeping mission
Berlin (dpa) – The deployment of German armed forces to the international missions off the Lebanese coast and in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been extended by another year. In a vote on Thursday a large majority of Bundestag members approved the mandates for the NATO KFOR and the EU EUFOR Althea missions in the Balkans, and the UN UNIFIL mission in the eastern Mediterranean. All these operations are designed to protect and preserve peace in their respective regions.
The Bundeswehr has been involved in KFOR for 25 years, its longest deployment outside Germany. The role of the international force is to establish a secure environment and ensure public safety and order in Kosovo. The European Union EUFOR Althea mission ensures compliance with the Dayton Peace Agreement that put an end to the Bosnian war in 1995. The Bundeswehr is supporting the international UNIFIL operation, which has monitored the border zone between Israel and Lebanon since 1978, with a navy frigate. It is patrolling the Mediterranean to prevent weapons from being smuggled to the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia
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27.06.2024: Federal Government honours contributions to international peacekeeping missions
Berlin (d.de) – To mark the International Day of Peacekeeping, Germany’s Federal Government is honouring members of the armed forces, police officers and civilian experts for their contributions to peacekeeping missions. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser expressed their thanks on behalf of the government to all those deployed on such missions, “who often work under difficult operational conditions in dangerous areas.” The three ministers have attended the International Day of Peacekeeping since 2013. This year the ceremony recognised the work of German military and civilian personnel serving in Lebanon with the UNIFIL mission, on the UNMISS mission in South Sudan, at the Special Criminal Court of the Central African Republic, on the EUMA mission to Armenia, with the UNMIK mission in Kosovo, and in Somalia with EUCAP Somalia.
At present, 639 military personnel, 170 civilian experts, 67 police officers, and numerous German employees of the United Nations are deployed on these missions. In addition to this, Germany is the fourth-largest donor to the UN Peacekeeping Budget, providing 6.1% of the total.
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26.06.2024: Germany donates €19 million for international forest protection
Oslo (d.de) – Germany is providing €19 million to support a new global implementation hub for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to help restore forest areas. At the Oslo Tropical Forest Forum, the German Environment Ministry is working to accelerate the restoration of destroyed forests around the world, and to curb deforestation. At the meeting hosted by Norway, environment ministers from countries with tropical forests and donor countries discussed measures to protect forests. Environment Minister Steffi Lemke said, “Protecting the foundations of our existence requires that all states implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement. This therefore calls for targeted investment in restoring forests and putting a swift end to deforestation.”
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25.06.2024: Commissioner for Human Rights Amtsberg travels to the Democratic Republic of Congo
Berlin (d.de) – The Federal Government’s Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Assistance at the Federal Foreign Office, Luise Amtsberg (photo), is seeking to draw attention to the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo by visiting the country. “Away from the media spotlight”, an armed conflict is once again raging in the east of the country, forcing millions of people to flee and posing an acute threat to their safety, said Amtsberg, adding that a quarter of the population were dependent on humanitarian aid. Amtsberg said the second biggest food crisis in the world was unfolding in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“By travelling to the country, my aim is to draw attention to the complex conflict going on in this region of Central Africa and focus attention on the German government’s commitment to pursuing a policy of vital humanitarian aid, stabilisation and development,” said the Human Rights Commissioner, adding that the situation in eastern Congo must not become a “forgotten crisis”.
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24.06.2024: Bundesrat President Schwesig visits Ukraine
Kyiv (dpa) – The first female President of the Bundesrat, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s premier Manuela Schwesig arrived in Ukraine on Monday morning. Having travelled to Kyiv by train, she plans to hold political talks later in the day. “This is a sign of the solidarity of all 16 federal states with Ukraine,” she said. “Ukraine must win this war and Russia must not be allowed to get away with its aggression.” Schwesig has been President of the Bundesrat since 1 November 2023, a position she will hold for one year. It is the fourth highest state office after the Federal President, the President of the Bundestag and the Federal Chancellor.
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21.06.2024: New funding for vaccines made in Africa
Berlin (d.de) – At a conference in Paris, governments, companies and foundations have agreed on new measures to establish vaccine production in Africa. The aim is to produce more than 800 million vaccine doses in African countries over the next ten years. The most important measure is a purchase guarantee for vaccines made in Africa, which will initially be more expensive than those from Asia. “When it came to distributing the coronavirus vaccines, Africa was at the back of the queue. This destroyed a lot of trust and must not happen again. One of the lessons learnt from this is to establish independent regional production in Africa,” said Development Minister Svenja Schulze. The German government will be supporting the new financing mechanism together with other donors: Team Europe – primarily the EU Commission, Germany, France and Italy – will be providing around 70 percent of the approximately one billion euros required.
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20.06.2024: Climate and development partnership with Mozambique
Berlin (d.de) – Germany and Mozambique have agreed on a new climate and development partnership. A declaration to this effect was signed by Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and César Francisco de Gouveia Júnior of the Mozambican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to the Development Ministry, this new partnership with the south-east African country focuses on expanding renewable energies, investing in power grids, training specialists in the development of renewable energy sources and adapting to climate change. “Mozambique and Germany both stand to benefit from the new partnership,” said Flasbarth. It would help Mozambique establish a more stable energy supply, he added, as well as enabling the country to be better prepared to tackle the consequences of climate change such as droughts and floods. Meanwhile, he said, Germany was gaining a partner that offered great potential for the expansion of renewable energies and green hydrogen.
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19.06.2024: Vice Chancellor Habeck travels to South Korea and China
Berlin (dpa) – As part of a trip to East Asia, Germany’s Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Economic Affairs Robert Habeck will first visit South Korea, where he is due to meet representatives from politics and business. He will be accompanied by members of the Bundestag and a business delegation including representatives of medium-sized companies. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, South Korea is Germany’s second most important export market in Asia, accounting for goods exports worth some 20 billion euros. Germany mainly exports cars and car parts to the country. South Korea itself is an important producer of information and communication technology. Habeck travels on to China on Friday. The main issues for discussion there are trade and economic relations, climate action and the climate-friendly restructuring of industry.
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18.06.2024: State Secretary for Climate will seek to promote the energy transition on her trip to Asia
Berlin (d.de) – On a trip to Japan and China, the State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action at the Federal Foreign Office, Jennifer Morgan, will seek to strengthen partnerships for an accelerated energy transition. “Here in Germany and around the world, we’re seeing increasingly extreme weather events. This makes it all the more important for us to press ahead with the global energy transition,” said Morgan. As G7 countries, Germany and Japan had a “particularly important pioneering role” to play in the move away from fossil fuels, she added. She said that during her talks she would be looking to find out how the two countries could work even more closely together on the energy transition and the transformation of the economy. In China, Morgan will be attending the first plenary session of a new climate and transformation dialogue. “China’s contribution is crucial if we’re to meet the Paris climate targets and avert very serious climate damage,” said the State Secretary.
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17.06.2024: Minister of State travels to the USA and Canada
Berlin (d.de) – Tobias Lindner, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, is travelling to the USA and Canada for political talks on issues that include foreign and defence policy. In New York he will also be attending a UN Security Council event on cyber security. Lindner described German-American relations as “close and trusting”. Bilateral cooperation with Canada was also excellent, he said, adding that this would be enhanced by Canada’s G7 presidency next year. With regard to both countries, Lindner said: “We stand side by side with our North American partners in matters of security policy.”
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14/06/2024: Scholz praises G7 aid pledges for Ukraine as a ‘historic step’
Bari (dpa) – Chancellor Olaf Scholz has described the aid package worth billions of dollars proposed by the G7 countries as a sending a clear signal to Russia’s President Putin. “The Russian president has a very obvious plan: he wants to prolong his war until everyone gives up on supporting Ukraine. But that plan has broken down today,” said Scholz at the G7 summit in Italy. He said the pledge would allow Ukrainians to go on defending themselves against the Russian invaders. “It’s also a clear signal to the Russian president that he can’t just play the waiting game,” Scholz said, stressing that
Putin cannot hope to win the war because of financial problems affecting Ukraine’s supporters. “That won’t happen, and to that extent, today is definitely a historic step,” Scholz said. Earlier that day the seven leading industrial democracies had agreed a massive aid package for Ukraine at their summit meeting in Italy, to be funded by interest on frozen Russian state assets.
