German and American Young Political Leaders
American Council on Germany
Berlin, July 14, 2008
Ambassador William R. Timken, Jr.

Mr. Drozdiak,
Dr. Spoeri,
Mr. Utley,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for the invitation to join you this evening. It's a pleasure to meet with representatives from such a wide variety of institutions.

Earlier this month, on the 4th of July, America's Independence Day, we celebrated the Grand Opening of the new U.S. Embassy on Pariser Platz, just next to the Brandenburg Gate and a stone's throw away from where President Reagan challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall." We combined the inauguration of our new Embassy building with our traditional Independence Day to mark the significance of the U.S.-German partnership -- past, present and future. There is no doubt that there are many historic milestones of which we can be very proud. I see the inauguration of our embassy as the closing of a circle that extended back to the time when we were enemies at war, through the long Cold War years of division, the process of unification to the state where we are today as global partners. It is the closing of a circle and the opening of a new chapter in our relationship. In that respect, we are very lucky that we can count on the excellent work done by organizations such as the American Council on Germany.

In their keynote addresses at the official grand opening last week, both former President George H. W. Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke of the need for a renewed transatlantic agenda to cope with global challenges of the 21st-century. Former President Bush, one of the strongest supporters of German reunification, emphasized the broad prospects for cooperation between Washington and Berlin. Recognizing the presence of the Airlift pilots, he described the conditions for German-American friendship in aviation terms -- as he said, "ceiling and visibility" are unlimited.

Chancellor Merkel, too, underscored the strength of the transatlantic partnership. Our two countries have moved closer to each other since the end of the Cold War. They have become more intertwined and more interconnected. Our partnership is richer, more diverse and more productive than at any time in the past. It has brought freedom, economic prosperity and peace to millions of people in Europe. But more important, today our relationship is not just about Europe; it's about what we do together in the world. It has the potential and the momentum to bring freedom, prosperity and peace to people around the world.

As the Chancellor pointed out, when it comes to combating global challenges like hunger, terrorism and climate change, no nation can go it alone. Our two economies -- the most innovative in the world, in my view -- have seen how fruitful a joint approach can be when it comes to energy efficiency and protecting the environment against the impacts of climate change. Chancellor Merkel has called for more synergies. This is one of the interests that she shares with President Bush. Last month they met for a one-on-one informal meeting at the German government's summer house outside of Berlin. The idea was to duplicate the constructive atmosphere of the Chancellor's visit to the President's ranch in Crawford, Texas last fall.

It has been my great privilege to sit in on many of their meetings. Their conversations are stimulating and wide-ranging. I would like to speak with you this evening about a  couple of the issues that have occupied many of their conversations. These are also topics that were addressed by G8 leaders last week in Japan. Then I would be interested in your comments.

One of the key issues in Japan was climate change. Last year at the Heiligendamm summit there was significant convergence on a G8 vision on climate change, thanks to Chancellor Merkel's commitment. That was when President Bush announced the idea of more formally engaging the major economies. Many components have grown out of what occurred in Heiligendamm.

At the G8 this month, Prime Minister Fukuda hosted a meeting of leaders from the world's major economies. This was a historic gathering. In the more than 20 years of climate and energy security discussions, the leaders of the major economies have never assembled before to take a wide-ranging look at the way forward. The importance of leader-level involvement on these issues is critical, as much for providing political impetus for agreement on climate change, as to advancing the interlinked challenges of energy security and sustainable development. At the G8, significant progress was made toward coming up with a comprehensive approach to climate change. The major industrial countries agreed to cut CO2 emissions by 50% by 2050. This was a huge step forward. Chancellor Merkel deserves a lot of the credit for making it happen.

There continues to be serious debate over the middle-range targets, for instance, in 2020 or 2025, but even here, the U.S. and Germany and other countries are engaged in a productive dialogue. The leaders' declaration emphasized the need for ambitious, realistic, and achievable steps. All the leaders recognized that achieving long-term goals depends on significant advances in technology and the infrastructure to deliver that technology in all of our countries. That means investing in technology, both at the national and international levels, and through both the public and private sectors. The United States and Germany have a number of best practices on R&D cooperation. We are the world's leaders in environmental and clean energy technologies.

On other matters, the G8 leaders emphasized the critical importance of concluding a Doha Round. We are now optimistic that about the possibility of successfully completing the Round by the end of this year. Trade liberalization is not, however, something that developed economies can achieve alone. For the Doha Round to fulfill its mission of lifting millions out of poverty, we will need market openings and trade liberalization in the major emerging markets as well.

Progress was also made on combating disease. Discussion centered on developing a comprehensive agenda to help those affected by sickness and disease to live healthy lives. The United States has been in the forefront of trying to help nations eradicate malaria. The G8 nations stepped forward to support these efforts. The G8 also committed $60 billion over five years to fight HIV/AIDS and other diseases. It's obvious that you can't solve health care problems unless there are health care workers on the ground, so agreements were made to train new health care workers. They will make a real difference.

One of the key ingredients of the meeting in Japan was accountability. Pledges are important, but it's more important to fulfill obligations and follow up on what we say we're going to do.

I am not going to discuss in detail the whole G8 agenda. The main point I would like to make is that it underlines the global nature of the German-American partnership. Both President Bush and Chancellor Merkel believe strongly that by protecting our environment, resisting protectionism, fighting disease, promoting development and improving the daily life for millions around the world, the interests of the world as well as the United States and Germany are served.

That, I believe, is one of the great lessons of the transatlantic partnership. In her speech at the Brandenburg Gate, Chancellor Merkel quoted one of my favorite citations from former President Bush. When President George H. W. Bush visited Germany in May 1989, he underlined his support for German reunification. As President Bush pointed out last week in Berlin, he sometimes found himself alone in that position. He recalled that Francois Mitterand told him, "You know, George, I like Germany so much I think there should be two of them." But President Bush was firm in his position that the world and Germany had waited long enough. He called for a Europe, whole and free. He described then the German-American relationship as a partnership in leadership. The United States and the Federal Republic, he said, had always been firm friends and allies, but with the slow but sure end of the Cold War, there was an added role. They would become partners in leadership. And "leadership," the former president said, "has a constant companion: responsibility. Our responsibility is to look ahead and grasp the promise of the future." Unquote.

Thank you.