German-American Relations

News in 2006 

Remarks By Secretary Rice With German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier After Meeting
December 8, 2006
SECRETARY RICE: (...) Frank-Walter and I have had extensive discussions of a range of issues and we will continue tonight over dinner. We discussed the Middle East in quite a lot of detail. In particular, we discussed our concerns about events as they are unfolding in Lebanon, the need of the international community to speak loudly that the Siniora government has the support of the international community. This democratically elected government is under great pressure from a combination of extremist forces and outside forces, including Syria and Iran, who seem intent on trying to destabilize this young democracy. And it simply cannot be tolerated and we talked about the importance of support for the Siniora government. more

German-American Day 2006
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
October 6, 2006
Throughout our history, the spirit and hard work of German Americans have been an important part of the cultural fabric of our Nation. On German-American Day, we celebrate German Americans and their many contributions to the character of our country. more

Interview with German Press, Daniel Fried, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs
September 21, 2006
What we’re working on with Germany [inaudible] requires much comment. President Bush and Chancellor Merkel – you’ve heard they get along very well, and that is the truth. They do get along very well. Her substantive background is something that obviously appeals very widely to Americans, to the President, because she understands the nature of freedom, that it is not simply a birthright that one is given. Sometimes it has to be fought for and worked for and it can be achieved. more

President Bush's Visit to Germany
July 13, 2006
At the invitation of Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Bush visited northeastern Germany. He and Laura Bush arrived in Rostock-Laage in the evening of July 12 and proceeded to Heiligendamm. Chancellor Merkel hosted President Bush on July 13, 2006 in the towns of Stralsund and Trinwillershagen, which are in the Chancellor’s electoral constituency. The visit, which took place in what had been communist East Germany, underscored our two nations’ commitment to advancing freedom and prosperity, and to strengthening the transatlantic partnership. The two leaders looked forward to discussing a wide range of global challenges, in particular continuing their consultations on Iran and preparing for the G-8 Summit. Remarks & News Releases

President Bush Welcomes German Chancellor to the White House
May 3, 2006
President Bush on Wednesday said, "Obviously, we spent a lot of time on Iran. After all, we're close allies in trying to make sure that the Iranians do not develop a nuclear weapon. We talked about the WTO round, the Doha round for the WTO, and I appreciated the Chancellor's willingness to work with not only the Europeans, but with a country like Brazil, and others, to see if we can't bring this round to a favorable conclusion." Press Conference (May 3) | President Bush Attends American Jewish Committee's Centennial Dinner (May 4)

Secretary of State Rice visits Berlin
March 30, 2006.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was in Berlin on March 30 to attend a meeting of foreign ministers of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and German Foreign Minister Steinmeier. Secretary Rice's trip to Berlin also provided an opportunity for her to continue her dialogue with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other top officials. Secretary Rice traveled to Germany, France and the United Kingdom from March 29 to April 2, 2006. During the trip to Europe she consulted with key European allies on the range of common challenges, including Iran, the United States is addressing with its transatlantic partners. Rice Visit to Berlin

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns visits Berlin
March 14, 2006.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns visited Berlin for talks with government counterparts, parliamentarians, and business leaders on the need to bring the Doha Development Agenda to a successful conclusion by the end of 2006. Secretary Johanns met with Ministers of Economics and Technology Michael Glos and Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Horst Seehofer. He also sat down with German and international press at the U.S. Embassy to discuss international trade questions and other issues in his portfolio, including avian influenza and biotechnology. "We regard Germany's leadership as important, and we're anxious to work together to achieve a successful Doha Round," the Secretary told journalists. more

U.S. Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes Visits Berlin
February 21-22, 2006.
After traveling to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, U.S. Under Secretary of State Karen P. Hughes arrived in Berlin to meet with German government officials, to engage German media, and to exchange ideas with opinion leaders and with Germany Mission staff on a wide range of topics. At the German Foreign Ministry, she met with State Secretary Georg Boomgaarden. Before their meeting, Under Secretary Hughes presented State Secretary Boomgaarden with a personalized U.S. team World Cup jersey. She also met with the German Ambassador to the U.S. Dr. Klaus Scharioth. more

Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex M. Azar II, Visits Berlin
February 8-9, 2006.
The Deputy U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex M. Azar II, visited Berlin February 8-9, 2006 for discussions with German counterparts about the role of innovation in spurring drugs and devices to be available for consumers and patients across the world, particularly given the growing threat of a global pandemic influenza. While in Berlin, Deputy Secretary Azar took part in a roundtable discussion hosted by the Aspen Institute on "The Critical Role of Innovation in the Public Health Sector." On February 9, he meet with journalists from German print media. more

42nd Munich Conference on Security Policy
February 4/5, 2006.
More than 300 defense ministers and top security officials met in Munich at the 42nd Munich Conference on Security Policy. Attendees discussed: “Europe and the United States: Restoring the Transatlantic Partnership” as well as a variety of other issues such as Iran’s nuclear program and the war on terror. Much emphasis was also be placed on the future role of NATO. U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick also attended the Munich Security Conference.
Remarks by Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, February 4, 2006: English | German | Remarks by Robert B. Zoellick, Deputy Secretary of State, February 6, 2006

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gutierrez Visits Berlin
January 25, 2006.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez visited Berlin January 24-25 to discuss issues of common concern in the transatlantic relationship with representatives of German government, trade and industry. In addition to meetings with Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Minister of Economics and Technology Michael Glos, Secretary Gutierrez delivered remarks and participated in a discussion at an event hosted by the Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie and the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany. more

"Our Job Now Is To Work Together," Bush Tells German Chancellor
U.S. president says meeting with Chancellor Merkel was "incredibly positive"
January 13, 2006. Washington – President Bush and Germany’s newly elected chancellor, Angela Merkel, pledged to work side-by-side on the world stage even if they disagree on some issues. “Our job now is to work together,” Bush said in a joint news conference with Merkel following their meeting January 13 at the White House. “We talked about our desire to work together to accomplish important goals for the world, starting with peace,” Bush said. “We share a deep desire to help those who suffer.” Transcript of joint press conference | Video

Reinvigorating the US-German Economic Partnership. Luncheon Keynote at American Council on Germany Conference, by Treasury Deputy Secretary Robert M. Kimmitt, Washington, DC.
January 13, 2006.
My first interaction with these two Councils came over two decades ago at a very different time in German-American and transatlantic relations. A conference arranged jointly by these two groups during the Cold War might not have taken the time to discuss globalization in detail or to hear from the U.S. Treasury Department, because the emphasis during that period was understandably on the political and security dimensions of the relationship. Today, however, the economic and financial component is widely recognized as an essential element of the foundation of the relationship - indeed, some would say the component of the relationship that helped weather recent stormy relations on the political/military front. So it is important to look not just at where we are, but at what we can do to reinvigorate the German-American economic partnership. more