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Steinmeier Visits MIT, Harvard, Fenway Park in Boston
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier continued his USA visit in Boston on Saturday, April 12, with stops at MIT, Harvard, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Fenway Park. The day in Boston followed a day of political meetings in Washington, DC, on Friday, above all with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. His itinerary in Boston was primarily dedicated to his proposals for developing a new transatlantic agenda, relatedly, to transatlantic cooperation and information exchange on climate and energy security. New Transatlantic Agenda At Harvard, Steinmeier held a major address outlining his views and suggestions for a new transatlantic agenda for a changing world. In his speech, he paid tribute to the landmark speeches on the transatlantic relationship held at Harvard—Secretary of State George C. Marshall in 1947 and German Chancellor Willy Brandt on the 25th anniversary of the Marshall Plan in 1972. That relationship, in which the US and the EU are each other’s number one partner, is as relevant today as it was then, the Foreign Minister said. “For the past 60 years the transatlantic relationship has been the world’s transformative partnership. America’s relationship with Europe – more than with any other part of the world – enables both of us to achieve goals that neither of us could achieve alone. This is what makes the transatlantic relationship unique: When we agree, we are the core of any effective global coalition; when we disagree, no global coalition is likely to be effective.” Transatlantic cooperation will be essential, Steinmeier said in tackling “the most pressing challenges of mankind: scarce resources, people left behind by globalization, changing relations in Asia, dealing with political Islam, or fighting terrorism.” Steinmeier called for a “transatlantic climate bridge” bringing together American and European experts and institutions to address the “twin challenges” of climate change and energy security. The United States and Europe, with their top resources, must be pioneers on the issues.
He also called for a broader definition of security and pointed out the increasing need for cooperation in an increasingly interdependent world. He highlighted Germany’s and Europe’s efforts in the Middle East and in Afghanistan, through NATO. He also called for “much more” work on arms control, a topic of the recent NATO Summit: “The West should take the initiative – with the US front and center.” On the need for a more open and just world, Foreign Minister Steinmeier addressed the challenge of globalization, calling for engagement, dialogue, institution building and global governance instead of protectionism. The current financial crisis, for example, “requires swift political action,” he said, naming the G7, the EU and the IMF and World Bank. “Together, we as transatlantic partners and friends – the United States, Canada and Europe with modern Germany at its heart – together we can make our world a more sustainable, a safer, a more just and open place,” he concluded. The speech at Harvard followed the official launch of the MIT Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems at the 2008 MIT Energy Conference. Gift from Berlin
Later, Foreign Minister Steinmeier traveled to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, where, in the presence of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, he presented the library with a Berlin Buddy Bear. The life-size representation of Berlin’s city symbol features hand-painted, allegorical images of the life of President Kennedy, including his “Ich bin ein Berliner” quote, and themes of German-American friendship. The Great American Pastime
And not least, Foreign Minister Steinmeier had the privilege and pleasure of throwing out the first pitch at the Red Sox-Yankees game at Fenway Park on Saturday afternoon. He was accompanied to the mound by two young students from the German International School Boston. Steinmeier donned a Red Sox jacket and in front of some 40,000 fans, confidently took the mound and threw the ball like a pro. Only the day before in Washington, DC, his colleague Secretary Rice had issued a friendly warning that throwing out the first pitch can be risky. Steinmeier and Rice – Unity on the Central Issues
The Foreign Minister began his trip in Washington, DC, where he met with Secretary Rice on Friday and discussed a range of international issues with her. The two foreign policy leaders have met each other frequently over the past two-and-half years. "The USA is our most important ally," Steinmeier said in a joint press conference with Rice after their meeting. "Frank is not only my great colleague, but my good friend," Rice said. "We had a stimulating discussion of the work that remains ahead of us." Western Balkans at forefront of talks The importance of stabilizing the Western Balkans was at the forefront of their talks, Foreign Minister Steinmeier said, the situation being especially challenging as nationalist forces in the Serbian elections would attempt to upset the pro-Europe sentiment. Steinmeier said he and Rice used Friday's meeting to look back at the results of last week's NATO Summit in Bucharest, where the Balkans were an important part of the agenda. On the situation in the Middle East, Steinmeier said he hopes that the international community's joint efforts will be enough to encourage the partners again and again to find solutions. "The way to peace is worth it." Speaking later in the day, Steinmeier added that he and Rice had observed that there was once again movement in the process between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Steinmeier looked ahead to the upcoming conference on the Middle East in Paris, at which one goal will be to support the Palestinians in taking on more responsibility. On Iran, Steinmeier reiterated his statement that the latest comments out of Tehran are a renewed provocation of the international community. He stressed the importance of maintaining the joint approach toward Iran, saying that the international community has always managed to maintain its unity, even in challenging situations. Secretary Rice also emphasized the importance of the dual-track approach—pursuing sanctions and supporting talks. "Germany has been a stalwart in our policy, the dual-track policy," she underscored. During the press conference, the two also addressed the recent unrest in China over its policy toward the Tibetans. Both Steinmeier and Rice encouraged China to work calm the situation and to use the current opportunity to reach out to cultural and religious groups.
While in Washington, Foreign Minister Steinmeier had the opportunity to talk with the foreign policy advisors to the three US presidential candidates to form an impression about the foreign policy views of the candidates. Foreign Minister Steinmeier also met with Senator Joe Liebermann (I-CT). After arriving on Thursday night, Steinmeier met with Dr. Henry Kissinger. Washington's newest museum Finally on Friday, on the occasion of the official opening of the Newseum, Foreign Minister Steinmeier visited the Berlin Gallery at the museum, which he hailed for its dedication to nothing less than the freedom of the press and the freedom of expression. He found the Berlin Gallery—home to a graffiti-covered, eight-section piece of the Berlin Wall and an East German border watchtower—evoked memories of the night of November 9, 1989, on which the city's fortified borders dramatically opened.
"I can hardly believe that next year is already the 20th anniversary" of the fall of the wall, he said.
Steinmeier recalled that those American journalists who traveled to West Germany after World War II to train their German colleagues in particular contributed to the Berlin Wall opening by ensuring that the press would eventually play a pivotal role. April 14, 2008Links
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