An Enduring Alliance
Germany and the United States stand together at the center of the transatlantic alliance. Our two nations are in fact more interdependent and integrated than ever before. We are partners in each other’s security and economic future just as surely as we were partners in the Cold War and in Germany’s reunifi cation. As witnessed by the millions of our citizens who benefi t from these ties every day, Germany and America enjoy all the elements of a mature and enduring relationship that is fully able to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
A Source of Mutual Prosperity
Despite the diffi culties posed by the global economic crisis, the deep integration between Germany and the United States continues to generate remarkable prosperity for both countries and forms a stable platform for recovery. Since the fall of the wall, our bonds have rapidly tightened, with American investment in Germany increasing more than four times and German investment in the U.S. soaring to seven times its 1990 level. Together, German fi rms operating in the U.S. and American companies in Germany control over $ 1 trillion in corporate assets.
Generations Past and Present
Dollars and euros are important, but people are the most vital factor in the equation. The connections that link Germany and the U.S. through trade and investment, military partnerships, and scientifi c, educational, and cultural exchange as well as personal and family ties are so seamless that they are often taken for granted. Yet taken as a whole, they represent a bilateral relationship unlike any other, one in which employees, researchers, students, and tourists are the new diplomats who bring our countries together.
New Challenges, New Responsibilities, Common Values
As President Obama said when he met with German and French students in Strasbourg in April 2009, “Part of the freedom that our nations stood for throughout the Cold War was the opportunity that comes from free enterprise and individual liberty.” More than ever, the success of the German and American economies is tied to the global economy. The worldwide crisis cannot be met by half measures or the isolated efforts of any one nation. Thus, the United States and Germany and their partners in the G20 have launched a new era of global economic cooperation, including comprehensive fi nancial reform. Sustainable growth can come only from stable but open markets that advance innovation, entrepreneurship, and opportunity.
Benchmarking Success
With the cooperation of institutions and individuals on both sides of the Atlantic, the U.S. Embassy began documenting the key benchmarks of our bilateral partnership in a study first released in 2008. Data is updated regularly.
Please post your comments and suggestions to:
benchmarks_de@state.gov
