German Leaders Express Sympathy and Offer Condolences for Devastation Caused by Hurricane Katrina

Chancellor Gerhard Schröder

German Government leaders have expressed condolences personally and on behalf of the German people for the loss of life and massive destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast region. The following are messages from Federal President Horst Köhler to US President George W. Bush, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder to President Bush, Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and from Economics and Labor Minister Wolfgang Clement to Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

Mr. President:

My fellow Germans and I were deeply shocked by the news of Hurricane Katrina, which caused such widespread devastation in the southern United States. We are profoundly saddened by the suffering and grief of those affected; our thoughts are with the victims, many of whom have been dispossessed, some of whom were injured or even lost their lives.

Permit me to offer you my sincere condolences, also on behalf of the German people.

Please also convey my heartfelt sympathy to the victims and their families.

Sincerely,

Horst Köhler

President of the Federal Republic of Germany

Mr. President:

The news of Hurricane Katrina, which is currently ravaging the Gulf Coast, left me deeply shocked.

Many Germans know and love the City of New Orleans and feel deeply the great worries the people there and in the region have regarding their safety and future. The hurricane has already claimed numerous lives and caused immense damage.

Let me assure you that my fellow Germans and I sincerely share in the suffering and grief of all those affected.

Gerhard Schröder

Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany

Dear Colleague, Dear Condi,

It is with great shock and sadness that I have been following the terrible devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the other affected regions. Allow me to convey my deep condolences to you and your government.

Numerous people have lost their lives. Our sympathy goes out to all the victims and their families, the injured, and those who lost all their belongings in this terrible natural disaster.

I wish the volunteers working in the region much strength and stamina and hope very much that the aftermath of the storm can be quickly overcome.

Joschka Fischer

Dear Mr. Gutierrez,

I have felt a great sense of dismay as I have followed in the media the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. No one can measure the scale of suffering which has engulfed so many families. Allow me to express my deepest sympathies to you and to the American people.

Particularly in view of the close economic ties between our two countries, I promise you my full support in coping with the problems now facing you.

The German Government is currently examining all the possibilities at its disposal to provide rapid and uncomplicated assistance. To this end, we are also working in close coordination with the US Embassy here in Berlin.

I wish you and all of the citizens affected by this terrible disaster courage and confidence for the future.

Sincerely yours,

Wolfgang Clement

Link
Ambassador Ischinger Sends Messages to Governors of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama

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