With respect to the explosive NGO-illegal immigrant controversy raised by West on a number of occasions, we interviewed an expert in the field, Professor Marco ...Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel commented as follows today (28 April) on the situation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia:
“The events in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, where the parliament building was stormed yesterday and legislators were beaten before the eyes of security personnel, are not in keeping with what we in the EU expect from a candidate for EU membership.
A government must now finally be formed in Skopje, to fulfil the mandate of the democratic elections that were held in December. It is simply unacceptable that the previous ruling party has refused to allow this to happen, and that its supporters are storming parliament and beating legislators.”
A Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson added the following statement:
“Talat Xhaferi is the constitutionally elected speaker of parliament. This result – along with the outcome of the parliamentary elections – must also be respected by his opponents. We expect the government to maintain law and order in the country.
The responsible officials in Skopje should turn their professed commitment to Europe into deeds, accept the outcome of the election and allow it to be implemented. This clear message from the German Government was today conveyed to the Ambassador of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia when he was summoned to the Federal Foreign Office.”
The German-Korean advisory board on foreign policy issues relating to reunification presented its final report at the Federal Foreign Office today (28 April) following its fifth working session.
On Friday morning, State Secretary Markus Ederer received the report with recommendations for the two governments on behalf of the Federal Government. One of the key recommendations of the report is to continue the joint dialogue regarding current security issues on the Korean Peninsula.
State Secretary Ederer said that he was confident that the Federal Foreign Office would soon commence talks with the Government of the Republic of Korea, which is to be elected on 9 May, on devising a new forward-looking consultation mechanism on current security policy issues in the East Asia region. Ederer said that a board such as this was urgently needed against the backdrop of the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and could help to continue to reinforce the strategic partnership with the Republic of Korea.
The report is the product of extensive consultations between German and Korean foreign policy experts in recent years. Both sides have held very frank discussions on strategies for the Korean Peninsula during this period. Germany has the capacity to make an important contribution to this discourse with its history of division and reunification. The advisory board was established by the Foreign Ministeries of Germany and South Korea in 2014.
A powerful new app will take over your phone's operating system and transforming it into the phone of a 16-year-old refugee girl. "Finding Home," which ...Foreign Minister Gabriel issued the following statement today (26 April) to mark the 20th anniversary of the The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW):
I warmly congratulate the OPCW on its 20th anniversary. As the guardian of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which almost all nations have joined, it has made the world a safer place through its activities during the last 20 years. The vast majority of chemical weapons in the world have already been destroyed under OPCW supervision. That is a great success, and the organisation has rightfully been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this accomplishment.
At the same time, the cruel use of chemical weapons against the civilian population in Syria shows that the remaining chemical weapons can still inflict great suffering. We continue to fully support the OPCW and its Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü in their efforts to investigate the most recent chemical weapons attacks in Syria, as they work toward a world free of chemical weapons.
I call on the few countries that have not yet signed the Chemical Weapons Convention to do so as soon as possible. This way, the Convention can become universally applicable, and the remaining chemical weapons will soon be found only in history books.
In 2016, the 28 EU member states granted refugee status to a total of 710,400 asylum seekers: double the amount recorded in 2015. According to ...
To explain why immigration is such an important card played by right-wing populists and why analysts, each convinced of their explanations, continue to haggle, without ...
In 2016, the number of crimes committed by asylum-seekers in Germany has increased: +52% compared to the preceding year. According to the data distributed by Germany’s ...
From the beginning of 2017, over 150 children and adolescents drowned in an attempt to reach Italy from North Africa. This is certainly an underestimate ...In response to the most recent executions in the State of Arkansas, the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, Bärbel Kofler, issued the following statement today (25 April):
I am concerned and saddened that two further executions out of the eight that were originally planned for April have now been carried out in Arkansas.
The death penalty is an inhumane and cruel punishment – as was also demonstrated by the vacillation in the run‑up to these executions, which must have been psychologically extremely testing for all concerned. For me, trials based on the rule of law which end with the deliberate execution of an individual are not acceptable.
I think of the victims of the crimes and the suffering inflicted on them, their families and friends, and I offer them my heartfelt sympathy.
Nonetheless, the primary focus of government activity should always be the protection of life – the life of every individual, including the perpetrators. In the United States these issues are the subject of active civil society debate. Many people, including relatives of victims, are engaged in work to abolish capital punishment. I would like to convey to them my particular respect.
On Wednesday (26 April), Foreign Minister Gabriel is to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang at Villa Borsig as part of the strategic dialogue on foreign and security policy between China and Germany.
Alongside Sino‑German relations, the talks are to focus on economic questions and issues currently dominating international politics, for example the tense situation on the Korean peninsula.
Bärbel Kofler, the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid, issued the following statement today (24 April) on reports regarding persecution of LGBTI persons in Russia:
I take reports regarding persecution of LGBTI persons in the autonomous Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation very seriously. The reports shine a light on an intolerable situation. What is more, these individuals can apparently also not escape persecution by going to other parts of Russia.
I support the demand that has been made by Gernot Erler, the Coordinator for Intersocietal Cooperation with Russia, Central Asia and the Eastern Partnership Countries. He has called on the Russian government to investigate these reports and to immediately provide the individuals concerned with the support they need.
The statements that have been issued by the Russian side so far do not suggest that this matter is being followed up on with the dedication it deserves. I regret this all the more because the human rights situation throughout the Russian Federation has deteriorated. This has particularly affected minorities, which include LGBTI persons.
What is also intolerable is that those who report on human rights violations are themselves targeted. In Russia, time and again journalists are attacked and killed. The journalist Elena Milashina, a reporter for Novaya Gazeta who has covered the persecution of LGBTI persons in Chechnya, is currently in hiding at an undisclosed location.
Gernot Erler, the Federal Government Coordinator for Intersocietal Cooperation with Russia, Central Asia and the Eastern Partnership Countries issued the following statement today (24 April 2017) regarding the Russian Supreme Court’s ruling of 20 April banning the Jehovah’s Witnesses:
I am greatly concerned by the court ruling banning the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia and condemning their allegedly “extremist” activities. The right to peacefully exercise one’s freedom of religion and belief must not be vilified and criminalised. The ever wider use of allegations of “extremism” against non‑mainstream thinkers is causing me great concern.
I call on the Russian Government to uphold the human rights standards enshrined in the constitution of the Russian Federation, and in particular to guarantee freedom of religion and belief as well as freedom of opinion and assembly in their entirety. Restrictions may only be imposed in compliance with international human rights standards, which Russia is obliged to implement as a member of the Council of Europe.
It is not possible to insist that only the Italian language be spoken in religious institutions throughout Italy. The Constitutional Court declared the part of ...
With his first round victory, French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron’s problems are just beginning. While he might be claiming that he is well on his ...Today (24 April), upon his arrival in Israel, Foreign Minister Gabriel issued the following statement:
Today, Israel remembers those who died in the Shoah, six million Jews who were murdered by the National Socialists in an unparalleled crime against humanity. On this occasion I want to reiterate in no uncertain terms the historic responsibility that Germany bears for the Holocaust and the crimes of the Second World War and that guides our conduct today. For our generation it is both a warning and an obligation – to take a stand against anti‑Semitism and for human dignity, tolerance and intercultural understanding. That is the task for which we will one day be called to account.
Here in Israel today, I bow my head in silence before the unfathomable depths, the almost inconceivable betrayal of all civilised values that was the Shoah, and before the country that has, despite this, extended its hand to us Germans.
Ahead of his departure for Jordan around midday (23 April), Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel issued the following statement in Berlin:
What we have feared for years has now happened: I am deeply shocked by the news from eastern Ukraine. The death of an OSCE observer and the injuries suffered by two others near Luhansk today is a terrible tragedy. Someone who only wanted to help bring about peace and end the fighting lost their life today.
Our condolences and heartfelt sympathy are with the families of the victims, their friends and colleagues. I wish the injured observers a speedy recovery. Our wholehearted solidarity is with Ambassador Apakan and his great team.
The OSCE observers show untiring commitment and do outstanding work day after day. It is thanks to them that in the last few years the military escalation in eastern Ukraine has not been greater. The intolerable attacks and unjustifiable accusations, especially on the part of the separatists, must stop. It is in the interest of everyone, particularly the parties to the conflict at the line of conflict, that the OSCE observers are able to do their important and indispensable, and at the same time difficult and dangerous, work.
On the occasion of the UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day (23 April), Minister of State Maria Böhmer, Special Representative of the Federal Foreign Office for UNESCO World Heritage, UNESCO Cultural Conventions and UNESCO Education and Science Programmes, issued the following statement:
Open and unhindered access to books, cultural works and information is essential for people to be able to develop an informed opinion and to express their views freely.
In Germany, UNESCO World Book Day on 23 April is being celebrated with a large-scale reading extravaganza: many publishing houses, foundations, libraries and schools are holding book-related events. The aim is to encourage children and young people in particular to develop a passion for reading. Access to books always also means access to education and culture. That is a crucial requirement for successful integration into our society and for social participation.
In many countries in crisis and conflict regions, access to books remains a privilege reserved for the few. World Book Day aims to raise awareness of this problem and draw attention to it. In view of the comprehensive commitment to education in the fourth goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we must not relax our efforts in Germany and throughout the world, but continue to do everything in our power to drive forward initiatives to promote reading.
Italy is the leader in Europe for the number of immigrants granted citizenship. In 2015, of a total of 841,246 beneficiaries of this status throughout the 28 ...Foreign Minister Gabriel issued the following statement concerning the March for Science, which is scheduled for this Saturday (22 April):
In many cities in Germany and around the world, people will take to the streets tomorrow as a visible sign of support for the freedom of science. Germany has good reason to get involved: as a high-tech country, it owes its global network to a highly innovative research landscape that includes universities, institutes of applied science, research companies and science organisations.
Independent research and teachers’ academic freedom are pillars of an open and modern society. It therefore worries me that scientific freedom is coming under increasing pressure, also in Europe. When academics lose their jobs for political reasons, universities are sidelined, and certain areas of research are substantially weakened, it is also our democratic principles that come under attack. We must stand up and defend ourselves against such developments. We need free academic discourse and fact-based scientific data, so that we can shape the world of tomorrow.
Background information:
The March for Science is an initiative of United States scientists and researchers and is being held for the first time on 22 April 2017. Demonstrations will take place around the world, with the aim of underscoring the significance of science and scientific freedom. In Germany, the Alliance of Science Organisations has expressed its support for the March for Science.
In the context of its cultural relations and education policy, Germany campaigns for the freedom of science around the world. It maintains scientific cooperation also when political conditions are difficult, so that students and junior researchers continue to have access to the European area of knowledge and values. Through the Philipp Schwartz Initiative of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, threatened scientists from around the world are given the opportunity to pursue their research in Germany.
Foreign Minister Gabriel issued the following statement concerning the March for Science, which is scheduled for this Saturday (22 April):
In many cities in Germany and around the world, people will take to the streets tomorrow as a visible sign of support for the freedom of science. Germany has good reason to get involved: as a high-tech country, it owes its global network to a highly innovative research landscape that includes universities, institutes of applied science, research companies and science organisations.
Independent research and teachers’ academic freedom are pillars of an open and modern society. It therefore worries me that scientific freedom is coming under increasing pressure, also in Europe. When academics lose their jobs for political reasons, universities are sidelined, and certain areas of research are substantially weakened, it is also our democratic principles that come under attack. We must stand up and defend ourselves against such developments. We need free academic discourse and fact-based scientific data, so that we can shape the world of tomorrow.
Background information:
The March for Science is an initiative of United States scientists and researchers and is being held for the first time on 22 April 2017. Demonstrations will take place around the world, with the aim of underscoring the significance of science and scientific freedom. In Germany, the Alliance of Science Organisations has expressed its support for the March for Science.
In the context of its cultural relations and education policy, Germany campaigns for the freedom of science around the world. It maintains scientific cooperation also when political conditions are difficult, so that students and junior researchers continue to have access to the European area of knowledge and values. Through the Philipp Schwartz Initiative of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, threatened scientists from around the world are given the opportunity to pursue their research in Germany.
On 21 April 1992, exactly 25 years ago, representatives of the Governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and Romania signed the Agreement on Friendly Cooperation and Partnership in Europe in Bucharest. To this day, the Treaty lays the foundation for the political, economic and cultural cooperation between our two countries. The fall of the Iron Curtain in Europe paved the way for undertaking resolute steps in a spirit of partnership in order to overcome the division of Europe for good. Our aim was to create a permanent pan-European peaceful order and to build a common Europe united by human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Our two countries enjoy wide-ranging and close relations based on the solid foundation of our shared cultural heritage and in particular on close interpersonal ties. The German minority in Romania has had a significant impact on the country’s history and culture and on the renown that Germany enjoys in Romania. At the same time, the many Romanian citizens who live in Germany enrich the close relations between our two countries. These daily contacts between Romanians and Germans, between people with different identities in both countries, are an impressive illustration of how harmonious and natural coexistence can be in Europe.
Friendship and mutual respect in Europe are key elements of our wide-ranging political, economic and civil-society relations, which serve as an example of coexistence and cooperation in Europe. These relations provide testimony of the good cooperation between Germany and Romania at governmental, Land and regional level.
Germany accompanied Romania closely on its path to the European Union. Since Romania’s accession to the European union ten years ago, our two countries have worked closely together with the aim of uniting Europe on the basis of human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law. To this end, we conduct an open, constructive and results-oriented dialogue. Our membership of NATO shows that we are also part of a strong community based on the principle of solidarity as regards common defence and security issues.
Sixty years after its foundations were laid by the Treaties of Rome, the EU is currently facing a wide range of challenges, including challenges to cohesion between the Member States themselves. We reaffirm our determination, expressed in the Rome Declaration of 25 March 2017, to address these challenges in the spirit of European integration. Europe is our common future and our essential framework for action. The European Union provides the best framework for ensuring security and prosperity in a sustainable and social Europe that plays a crucial role in the world and helps to shape the ever-closer interconnections between our countries and societies on the basis of our common values.
We reaffirm our commitment to the European integration project, which is a project of peace, freedom, democracy and the rule of law and has developed into one of the most important economic areas with an unprecedented level of social security. Together, we want to uphold this historically unique project and to adapt it to the challenges of the future – in the interests of a safe, prosperous, competitive and socially responsible Europe!
Australia will make it more difficult to gain citizenship in a major overhaul of its migration process. Here are the 6 new requirements to acquire Australian ...A Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson issued the following statement today (20 April) on the ongoing protests in Venezuela:
The Federal Government deplores the fact that there were violent clashes in Venezuela on 19 April during largely peaceful mass protests against the Government that have claimed three further victims.
We condemn violence as means of political confrontation. The Venezuelan Government has a special responsibility to guarantee the right to peaceful demonstrations and to prevent acts of violence against demonstrators.The Federal Government calls on all parties to refrain from violence.
The Federal Government urges the Venezuelan Government to make good on its promise given in the context of the international mediation talks held in the autumn of 2016 – releasing political prisoners, acknowledging the rights of the Parliament, establishing a schedule for elections and improving people’s economic and social circumstances – thereby creating the conditions for resuming the national dialogue.”
Background information:
On 19 April – a public holiday to mark the beginning of the Venezuelan war of independence in 1810 – several hundred thousand people took to the streets across the country to protest against President Maduro and his government. State security forces and paramilitary forces (militia) close to the regime engaged in systematic attempts to disrupt the demonstrations and to break them up with the use of tear gas. Two demonstrators and a police officer died after sustaining gunshot wounds and around 200 others were injured.
Since the beginning of clashes between supporters of the opposition alliance MUD and state security forces approximately two weeks ago, there have been a total of eight fatalities (seven of whom were demonstrators), as well as several hundred injured people and arrests.
The opposition has called for the demonstrations to be continued, blaming President Maduro for the country’s economic collapse and accusing him of breaching the constitution. Meanwhile, Maduro has accused the opposition of seeking to stage a coup with the support of the USA.
Whilst on a trip to Iraq, Foreign Minister Gabriel issued the following statement today (19 April) on the appointment of Achim Steiner as new head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
I am delighted that the United Nations has decided to appoint Achim Steiner to head the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Given all his experience, his passion for development and his great commitment, Achim Steiner is just the right person to head the UNDP. He proved this in earlier roles within the United Nations system, especially as long‑standing head of the United Nations Environment Programme.
During the last few years, UNDP has done much for international development cooperation. However, major challenges lie ahead, in particular the implementation of Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals. Only if we work together can we master the immense task of improving the quality of life for millions of people around the world, something for which the acronym UNDP stands. Germany will do everything in its power to support it.
Between 2015 - 2016, in France, immigrant requests for asylum increased 7.1%. The total number of applications reached 85,726. Of these, 38% was accepted, a ...Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel gave the following statement to Funke Mediengruppe today (18 April) on the UK Prime Minister’s decision to hold an early general election:
Predictability and reliability are more important than ever since the Brexit vote in the UK. Any prolonged uncertainty is surely not to the benefit of political and economic relations between Europe and the UK. I hope that the early general election announced by Prime Minister May today will lend the negotiations with the European Union greater clarity and predictability.
Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel issued the following statement this morning (17 April 2017) on the Turkish referendum on an amendment to the constitution:
The people of Turkey were called on to vote on an amendment to the constitution of the Republic of Turkey. The German Government notes the preliminary outcome of the referendum and respects the right of the Turkish people to decide on their own constitutional order.
The close outcome of the referendum shows how profoundly divided Turkish society is. This means great responsibility for the Turkish Government and for President Erdoğan personally. The German Government expects the Turkish Government to now seek respectful dialogue with all political and social forces in the country, following the tough referendum campaign.
The German Government would like to thank the OSCE referendum observation mission for its work in the run‑up to and during the referendum. We should not anticipate the OSCE election observers’ final report on Monday. The German Government regards this assessment as particularly important. Michael Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, already expressed doubts last week that fair conditions for the referendum would be upheld.
The German Government recalls that the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission expressed grave concerns both on the process and the content of this constitutional amendment. As a member of the Council of Europe and the OSCE, and as a candidate country for EU membership that is bound to the EU’s Copenhagen criteria on democracy and the protection of fundamental rights, the Turkish Government must now respond to these concerns. Political talks on this matter must take place as soon as possible with Turkey, both at bilateral level and between the European institutions and Turkey.
A Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson issued the following statement today (16 April):
Today, on Easter Sunday morning (local time), North Korea again tested a missile. The test obviously failed. Regardless of whether or not a test is successful, this represents a clear breach of international law. We condemn the collision course of the regime in Pyongyang on behalf of the Federal Government and call upon North Korea to return to international norms. This year, North Korea has conducted more missile tests than in the same period in 2016 and is thus showing it is willing, despite clear warnings issued by the international community, to again heighten tension.
Background information:
At 6.20 am today (16 April), North Korea launched an as yet unidentified missile from its Sinpo missile basis. Pursuant to relevant UN Resolutions, the country is not permitted to conduct ballistic missile tests due to its nuclear programme.
A Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson issued the following statement today (16 April) on the attack on a convoy of evacuees from the Syrian towns of Foah and Kefraya:
The news of the attack on the convoy of evacuees from Foah and Kefraya is deeply shocking. Yet again, people in Syria have been targeted in a callous attack. Our sympathy goes out to the victims and their families. A political settlement is the only way out of this spiral of violence and counter-violence. Everyone who can exert influence on the parties to the conflict in Syria must play their part in bringing the senseless killing to an end and in getting all parties back to the negotiating table.
Background information:
Dozens of people were killed on Saturday afternoon in an attack on a convoy of evacuees from the Syrian towns of Foah and Kefraya. The exact number of victims has not been established but Syrian state television spoke on Saturday evening of at least 39 dead and the Syrian White Helmets of around 100. It is not yet known who was responsible for the attack and the Government and opposition have put forward different versions. The convoy was part of an agreement between opposition groups, the Hezbollah and the Syrian Government on the evacuation of four towns, of which two were besieged by opposition groups and two by groups supporting the regime.
Filippo Grandi,
Gerd Müller,
Ladies and gentlemen,
When I heard the dramatic appeals for aid from the United Nations recently, it was clear to me that the situation in South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and Nigeria is more calamitous now than it has been for a long time. I’m sure that your response was quite similar. For the first time since 2011, the official UN line is that this is a famine.
However, unlike then, this comes as no surprise. Back then, many people said that they didn’t have a chance to prepare properly. This isn’t a valid excuse this time around as it’s obvious that the various factors such as war, civil war, drought, climate disasters and refugee flows are coinciding. This is why we must do everything in our power to prevent a catastrophe of this nature.
All of you work in these crisis regions on a daily basis and are doing tremendous things under extremely difficult conditions that many people can barely imagine in their everyday lives – from distributing food and water to mobilising donations. And you are working to facilitate humanitarian access in order to give people what they need most urgently.
We have therefore intensified our political and humanitarian efforts in the Federal Government and have, in consultation with our international partners, endeavoured to mobilise further funding.
Allow me to come back to the reason for inviting you here today, however. What we want above all is to find out which measures, which aid, which underlying conditions you believe are required in order to avert a famine. With this in mind, I would like to present the priorities that we believe will help us to make progress. This is not a colossal master plan that claims to solve all of the problems, but a modest programme of work that is intended to show you what we have in mind and where we ask for your support.
Firstly, we need more money! This is not so much your responsibility, but that of governments and private donors. There’s a snag here, however. If you take part in international conferences on a regular basis, then you will have noticed that it is always the same people who are asked for help at each conference and always the same people who don’t even show up to the conference, just to be on the safe side. And this means, of course, that you reach the limits of what is politically feasible at some point. Let’s consider an example. If you say “many thanks for giving us a certain sum of money” to the members of the Bundestag’s Budget Committee on Friday and then come back again on Monday and say “by the way, there’s another disaster for which we’d like to ask you to set aside further funds that aren’t covered by the budget”, then this will work for a while, but not forever. And at some point, people will ask “why is it always these six, seven or eight countries and not the others?” The question as to how we can reach more countries is therefore out there. Incidentally, wealthy states are also among those to close their eyes to what is going on in the world.
And yet we have earmarked around 136 million euros for humanitarian assistance in Nigeria, South Sudan and in the Horn of Africa for 2017 and will request once again that the German Bundestag increase this funding. In other words, Minister Müller and I have already mobilised approximately 100 million euros from the budget of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and 100 million euros of the Federal Foreign Office budget and, with the support of the German Bundestag and the Finance Minister, we intend to add a further 200 million euros to what we have already pledged. We will therefore set aside money for Yemen and also contribute 50 million euros to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
Secondly, we need not only money, but also greater political will. While humanitarian assistance may be impartial and apolitical, calling for humanitarian access is not. We’re talking here about internationally binding law and are, unfortunately, living through an age in which abiding by the international legal order appears to have fallen out of fashion somewhat. This is why it is vital to keep on emphasising the importance of humanitarian access. We have clear political demands for the parties to the conflict in Yemen as we need aid organisations to be able to get supplies into the country via the port of Al Hudaydah, and without coming under fire. In Somalia, the clans must reach a lasting agreement to stop urgently needed supplies from having to take roundabout routes. Furthermore, the Sudanese Government must open up corridors and keep these open in order to allow food to be transported to South Sudan.
Thirdly, we need greater stability in the region. Our aid can help to alleviate conflicts, but it won’t resolve them. We must intensify our commitment to stabilising difficult and fragile regions. To this end, we intend to make more aid available in South Sudan, as we also pledged to do in Oslo for the Lake Chad region.
Fourthly, all of this will require considerable staying power. None of this must be a flash in the pan. We must actually do far more internationally to ensure that the funds and institutions of the UN are equipped with assets on a permanent basis, rather than having to appeal for money each and every year. This is another reason why we will meet again at a donors’ conference for Yemen in Geneva on 25 April and at a further conference in London on 11 May to talk with our partners about increasing funding, and this is why Germany intends to set a good example.
All of these things are, at the end of the day, important to us for humanitarian reasons. I think that we must, in public, clearly avoid the impression that we only want to tackle famines because we are out to protect ourselves from refugees. This is a strange impression that sometimes arises in the public debate. I think that this is a question of decency and moral integrity and that we cannot look away and ignore the UN Secretary‑General’s calls for help.
It is therefore important to us to also find out from you what we should do and how underlying conditions ought to be changed. And, of course, we also request that you support our Berlin Humanitarian Call not only in Germany, but also in your international cooperative partnerships and networks. Minister Müller once said in another context that if the international community is mooting a two percent guideline with respect to arms expenditure, then we should, at the very least, consecrate 0.7 percent to ODA. My personal opinion is that it would be better the other way around, i.e. two percent for ODA and 0.7 percent for arms expenditure.
Minister Müller’s statement flags up a great dilemma. We find ourselves in a situation in which the entire world is contemplating how to build up military capacities – sometimes for understandable reasons, sometimes not. And given the sums that are under discussion, we should actually be profoundly ashamed if we fail to raise four billion euros for the crises, including the one in the Horn of Africa, which represents but a small fraction of the amount that is being touted in the defence sector.
I therefore also believe that it would meet with great approval in our country if we were to set ambitious goals for ourselves and internationally, including for sustainable development. This would, incidentally, reduce the need for such high levels of defence expenditure. When all is said and done, comprehensive security cannot be guaranteed by the military alone. And so I am particularly delighted that both Minister Müller and I are on the same page here.
Thank you very much!
You’ve completed your undergraduate studies, obtained some work experience, and are now asking yourself “What’s next?” If the answer to that question includes attending graduate school, then this article is for you.
Whether you’ve started your search for a graduate program or not, you will notice that most institutions in Germany require you to submit scores of graduate standardized tests. There are many tests, and one of them is the GMAT!
The Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) is a standardized test which aims at measuring the reasoning abilities of potential graduate students, such as individuals who want to attend an MBA program.
It achieves this goal through its powerful computer algorithms which present you with real-world business problems and settings to assess your skills. The GMAT is a “computer adaptive test”, which means that the level of difficulty of the questions increases whenever you answer it correctly.
This pattern continues until you make a mistake, and then you are presented with a question of similar or lower difficulty.
GMAT is an internationally recognized test, most commonly used in admission processes for graduate institutions in the Germany, United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other countries. Its importance is demonstrated in the fact that many institutions will not even consider applicants who do not present their GMAT scores in their applications.
The reasoning behind this is that GMAT scores will set you apart from your competition, who might have similar backgrounds. Graduate schools usually set a threshold for the scores that the applicants must meet, and the higher the score, the better are your chances of being admitted into renowned universities.
The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) is the owner and administrator of the GMAT test. That means that if you want to take the test, you have to register through the GMAC system and make the appointment on a GMAC approved testing center.
Luckily, the GMAT is available in approximately 110 countries, which means testing centers and appointments are highly available. It is recommended that the test be taken before application deadlines by graduate schools, so you have enough time to prepare and evaluate yourself.
The GMAT is comprised of four distinctive parts, each measuring a different reasoning skill. These are the Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Verbal Reasoning.
The Analytical Writing Assessment is typically the first part of the GMAT test. The candidate is given 30 minutes to read and analyze a text and then write an essay based on it.
Through this essay, you are given a chance to express your critical thinking and writing abilities, by presenting your own arguments on the text that you read.
The essay needs to be clear and concise, not stray from the topic of the text, and be persuasive in the arguments.
This part of the GMAT is evaluated by a computer program at first, and then again by a human expert. This ensures that its evaluation is impartial and correct. The score varies from 1 to 6, with 6 being the maximum.
Despite the fact that the Analytical Writing Assessment score is not included in the final score of the GMAT, it doesn’t make it less important because low scores will hurt your chances of being admitted into the program of your choice.
With data becoming increasingly more available and important in managerial decision making, the GMAC recently introduced the Integrated Reasoning section in the GMAT. This section measures your ability to understand, analyze, and make decisions based on the data you are presented with. Ranging from a variety of presentations, from graphs to tables, you will have to organize the data and interpret it in a logical sense.
You are provided with an on-screen calculator which you can use for any problems requiring mathematical computations. The Integrated Reasoning section is 30 minutes long, with 12 questions, the scores of which will not be included in the final GMAT score, but are equally important in your assessment for admission.
The Quantitative Reasoning section is one of the most important parts of the GMAT. It measures your mathematical and problem solving skills by asking you to apply different math concepts such as arithmetic, algebra, geometry, data interpretation and so on.
You will not be allowed a calculator for this section, which means you have to compute everything on your own.
This section is made up of Problem Solving questions which provide you with a real world problem or mathematical information, and you have to solve it through applying various math concepts.
In addition, the Data Sufficiency part of this section presents you with different pieces of information and you have to evaluate whether they are sufficient or insufficient to solve a certain problem.
Practice is very important in this section, as the Quantitative Reasoning section makes up the bulk of your scores, and is heavily valued by graduate schools.
To complete this section, you are allowed 75 minutes for 37 questions, which indicates that accuracy as well as speed are desired to successfully pass it.
The last section of the GMAT is another 75-minute Verbal Reasoning part with 41 questions. This section tests your ability to understand, analyze, and correct written text and sentences. It is made up of the Sentence Correction part in which you will be presented with a sentence which might or might not be structured incorrectly.
Your job is to identify any mistakes in that structure and then choose from the given options the correct version of the sentence. The other part is Critical Reading which evaluates your critical thinking and reasoning skills. In this part you are presented with different arguments and you have to make any inferences for and assess the strength, logic, and flow of that argument by selecting any of the multiple answers given to you.
The last part of this section is the Verbal Comprehension part, which if you’ve ever taken the TOEFL test, will be familiar. In this part, you will be given passages of text, and unlike the TOEFL, the text will be more structurally complex. Your task will be to read the passages, analyze them, and then answer various multiple choice questions about them.
Similar to the Quantitative Reasoning section, the Verbal Reasoning section is included in your GMAT scores and is one which will be heavily evaluated by graduate school admissions.
Immediately after completing the test, you will get unofficial scores for Integrated, Quantitative, and Verbal Reasoning sections. After 20 calendar days, you will get instructions on how to access your official scores, which will be the ones you send to the graduate schools you are applying to.
The total scores are based on your Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning sections and are scored from 200 to 800 points, with most people scoring between 400 and 600 points.
In addition to the points, you will also be able to see your ranking in comparison with previous GMAT test takers, so if you have 570 points, that means you are in the 50th percentile, and have scored better than 50% of GMAT test takers.
If you’re aspiring to attend graduate school, where you will gain and strengthen skills as well as open new doors for your career, the GMAT will be one of the most important tests you will take. Because of its importance, preparation is key!
There is an array of resources out there which will help you obtain higher and better scores, ranging from books, to in-person tutoring, to online courses, but you need to choose wisely. Many sites will claim to generate meaningful results, but the place you decide to trust with your future needs to be credible and verifiable.
That is why, you need to first research where your GMAT resources and tutoring will come from. Sites such as Exampal.com which have been offering GMAT practice for over 20 years, are proven to help you master the test in under 3 weeks by providing individually tailored study plans, which build knowledge and strengthen your skills.
Before committing to any resource, you can start a free trial today, and assess whether that particular structure of learning is suitable for you and helps increase your chances of better performing in the GMAT.
The post What is GMAT and why you should take it? appeared first on Study in Germany for Free.
The rules in Italy for asylum-seekers are about to change. In fact, the House of Representatives has just passed the definitive decree, the so-called “decreto ...Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel issued the following statement on the fringes of his trip to Belgrade:
It is most regrettable that the Security Council has, as a result of a further Russian veto, failed to adopt a resolution condemning the dreadful events in Khan Sheikhoun. And yet it is vital to investigate this incident as rapidly as possible and to send a clear signal that the international community will not tolerate the use of such illegal and inhumane weapons.
We expressly support the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which has already commenced investigations into these crimes, and call on the Syrian regime to grant the organisation access with immediate effect.
Today, representatives from Governments, humanitarian organisations of the United Nations, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Non-Governmental Organisations and local responders came together in Berlin to jointly recommit to responding to the dramatic humanitarian situations in Northeast-Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region, in South Sudan, in Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa, and Yemen in accordance with our World Humanitarian Summit and Grand Bargain commitments and in line with the Agenda for Humanity.
We are convinced that it is still possible to prevent a greater humanitarian catastrophe through urgent and rapid humanitarian action. We stand together against famine and issue this Humanitarian Call:
First and foremost, we recall our commitment to the principles guiding humanitarian action: All assistance must be provided in accordance with the humanitarian principles of impartiality, neutrality and independence, on the basis of human need, and disregarding any political, religious, ideological or other considerations.
We call on donors around the world to act swiftly and to prioritise an increase in their support for coordinated humanitarian assistance in the countries currently facing a severe risk of famine.
We call on humanitarian partners to scale up their humanitarian assistance in the affected countries, to give maximum support to their experts in responding to these crises and to ensure the effective use of available humanitarian resources. We reaffirm our commitment to stand behind the UN, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and our humanitarian partners who continue to deliver assistance in most critical circumstances.
We call on the private sector to support humanitarian organisations to the best of its abilities, including through resources, expertise and enabling technology.
We call on individual citizens to support assistance programmes in these countries to the best of their abilities.
We call on parties involved in conflict to grant humanitarian workers safe passage and unimpeded access to the affected population. Our assistance must reach those who need it the most, based on the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.
We call on all authorities to abolish any bureaucratic and administrative obstructions that interfere with the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and in particular to end restrictions of movement within and into their countries.
We call for increased protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law and human rights law. We must support and speak out on behalf of the most vulnerable, amidst an intensification of conflict, disaster and shrinking humanitarian space.
We call on the international community to scale up its efforts to achieve greater stability in fragile regions in the affected countries and to support Governments in their efforts to protect their citizens.
We call for stronger political commitment on the part of political leaders to prevent crises in the first place and to solve those that have led to this humanitarian catastrophe.
Foreign Minister Gabriel commented as follows ahead of his trip to Belgrade and Pristina:
“Remarkable progress has been made in the Western Balkans over the past years. However, we have recently seen that some of the wounds of the past go deep and can still cause tensions, even today. We want to continue to support the countries of the region as they develop their democratic and rule-of-law structures and move towards stability and prosperity.
For this reason, I leave today for Serbia and Kosovo, on my first trip to the Western Balkans, and will visit Albania next week, in order to see for myself what the situation is. I will reassure my interlocutors that the road to the EU will remain open if they opt for progress and reform instead of division and stagnation.
Germany and Serbia: bilateral relations
Foreign Minister Gabriel commented as follows ahead of his trip to Belgrade and Pristina:
“Remarkable progress has been made in the Western Balkans over the past years. However, we have recently seen that some of the wounds of the past go deep and can still cause tensions, even today. We want to continue to support the countries of the region as they develop their democratic and rule-of-law structures and move towards stability and prosperity.
For this reason, I leave today for Serbia and Kosovo, on my first trip to the Western Balkans, and will visit Albania next week, in order to see for myself what the situation is. I will reassure my interlocutors that the road to the EU will remain open if they opt for progress and reform instead of division and stagnation.
Germany and Serbia: bilateral relations
Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth commented as follows after meeting with the Hungarian Ambassador Péter Györkös today in Berlin (11 April):
The Hungarian Ambassador and I spoke openly and amicably today. I took the opportunity to express our concern regarding the amendment of the Hungarian Act on Higher Education. The amendment targets the Central European University directly. For this reason, I too made it clear that we view this amendment, which was moreover adopted using a fast-track procedure, with incomprehension. Incomprehension does not however mean that we are at a loss for words. It has to be possible for European partners to address even difficult issues in a spirit of reason. We must talk to each other, not about each other.
I informed the Hungarian Ambassador that we are honestly worried by many of the things happening in Hungary at the moment. The European Union is above all a community of shared values, which can only function if all of us resolutely uphold and defend those values. It is our observation that Hungary is increasingly on a collision course with the EU and its institutions, and is also espousing views at international level that do not reflect the EU consensus. In the Council of Europe, in particular, Hungary is increasingly the retarding force as regards human rights issues such as LGBTI. Significant doubts also exist as to whether the new stricter Hungarian legalislation on asylum is in any way compatible with EU and international law. Nevertheless, I still think it is important for Hungary to understand why we are so concerned. That was the goal of today’s talks.
Background information:
Minister of State Roth regularly holds talks with the ambassadors of the various EU countries. Today’s meeting with the Hungarian Ambassador was part of this series.
There are always more flea markets run by immigrants in Italy. The number has increased by 30% in the last four years. Italy’s capital for ...
As of April 5th, there have been 176,470 immigrants registered as having arrived in Italy. With 78% of them hosted in temporary welcome structures, 13.5% ...Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth commented as follows after meeting with the Hungarian Ambassador Péter Györkös today in Berlin (11 April):
The Hungarian Ambassador and I spoke openly and amicably today. I took the opportunity to express our concern regarding the amendment of the Hungarian Act on Higher Education. The amendment targets the Central European University directly. For this reason, I too made it clear that we view this amendment, which was moreover adopted using a fast-track procedure, with incomprehension. Incomprehension does not however mean that we are at a loss for words. It has to be possible for European partners to address even difficult issues in a spirit of reason. We must talk to each other, not about each other.
I informed the Hungarian Ambassador that we are honestly worried by many of the things happening in Hungary at the moment. The European Union is above all a community of shared values, which can only function if all of us resolutely uphold and defend those values. It is our observation that Hungary is increasingly on a collision course with the EU and its institutions, and is also espousing views at international level that do not reflect the EU consensus. In the Council of Europe, in particular, Hungary is increasingly the retarding force as regards human rights issues such as LGBTI. Significant doubts also exist as to whether the new stricter Hungarian legalislation on asylum is in any way compatible with EU and international law. Nevertheless, I still think it is important for Hungary to understand why we are so concerned. That was the goal of today’s talks.
Background information:
Minister of State Roth regularly holds talks with the ambassadors of the various EU countries. Today’s meeting with the Hungarian Ambassador was part of this series.
Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth commented as follows after meeting with the Hungarian Ambassador Péter Györkös today in Berlin (11 April):
The Hungarian Ambassador and I spoke openly and amicably today. I took the opportunity to express our concern regarding the amendment of the Hungarian Act on Higher Education. The amendment targets the Central European University directly. For this reason, I too made it clear that we view this amendment, which was moreover adopted using a fast-track procedure, with incomprehension. Incomprehension does not however mean that we are at a loss for words. It has to be possible for European partners to address even difficult issues in a spirit of reason. We must talk to each other, not about each other.
I informed the Hungarian Ambassador that we are honestly worried by many of the things happening in Hungary at the moment. The European Union is above all a community of shared values, which can only function if all of us resolutely uphold and defend those values. It is our observation that Hungary is increasingly on a collision course with the EU and its institutions, and is also espousing views at international level that do not reflect the EU consensus. In the Council of Europe, in particular, Hungary is increasingly the retarding force as regards human rights issues such as LGBTI. Significant doubts also exist as to whether the new stricter Hungarian legalislation on asylum is in any way compatible with EU and international law. Nevertheless, I still think it is important for Hungary to understand why we are so concerned. That was the goal of today’s talks.
Background information:
Minister of State Roth regularly holds talks with the ambassadors of the various EU countries. Today’s meeting with the Hungarian Ambassador was part of this series.
Foreign Minister Sigmnar Gabriel issued the following statement on the margins of the G7 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Lucca today (11 April) after the talks on Syria:
“We had good talks on Syria here in Lucca. None of the G7 countries want military escalation, but rather a political settlement without a further spiral of violence. We want to persuade Russia to support the political process for a peaceful solution to the Syria conflict.
This is also the express stance of the US Secretary of State, who has our full support for his talks in Moscow on Wednesday.
I welcome this very clear position by the United States, which sent the Assad regime a clear message with its military attack, but does not want escalation, but rather to work with Russia.
We need to get the Vienna process off the ground again as soon as possible. We should meet soon at foreign minister level in the International Syria Support Group. We have to time to lose.
Not everyone may like this, but without Moscow and Tehran there will be no solution for Syria. This is why exclusion is definitely not the way forward. I think it is right to attempt inclusion once more. I do not like to imagine that Russia will remain loyal indefinitely to such a brutal regime as Assad’s, which knows no bounds whatsoever.”
The Prosecutor of Catania and Italian Senate Defense Commission have placed foreign Ngo’s in the spotlight. So, now, more than ever, there is a call ...Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel issued the following statement today (9 April) on the attack on a Coptic church in Egypt:
Today of all days, Palm Sunday, the terrible news has reached us of an attack on Christians in a Coptic church in Tanta, who were worshipping together in joyful anticipation of Easter. Christians have thus yet again been targeted in an act of bloodshed. We condemn this terrorist attack in the strongest possible terms.
We grieve with the Egyptian people and the families of the victims and our thoughts are with those injured. The background to the attack must now be investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice.
The perpetrators’ plan to undermine peaceful coexistence by driving a wedge between people of different faiths must not be allowed to succeed.
The Federal Government Coordinator for Intersocietal Cooperation with Russia, Central Asia and the Eastern Partnership Countries, Gernot Erler, issued the following statement today (7 April) on reports from Russia claiming that homosexuals have been singled out for persecution and some even killed on account of their sexual orientation in the constituent republic of Chechnya.
I am extremely concerned by the news from Russia about the persecution of homosexuals in Chechnya. I call on the Russian Government to investigate these terrible reports and, should they turn out to be true, to offer those affected the assistance they require with immediate effect and bring the perpetrators to justice.
We expect the Russian Government to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to the statements made by local authorities in Chechnya. I also wish to call to mind in this regard Russia’s international obligations, particularly the right to life, the prohibition of torture and the right to freedom and security.
Speaking in Bamako today (7 April) on the fringes of their trip to Mali, the Foreign Ministers of France and Germany, Jean‑Marc Ayrault and Sigmar Gabriel, issued the following statement on the events in Stockholm:
We are deeply shocked to hear that Sweden, too, has now become victim of an act of terror of this nature.
Our northern neighbour’s engagement for human rights, peace and justice is exemplary. Our dismay in response to the images from the very heart of Stockholm is therefore all the greater.
We feel for the people of Sweden, and our thoughts are with them, the victims and their families and loved ones. At this difficult time we stand shoulder to shoulder with our Swedish friends.
We hope that the circumstances surrounding this appalling act can be clarified swiftly.
Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel issued the following statement today (6 April) after talks with the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide:
Since 2015, the two sides have been working tirelessly with the backing of the United Nations to reunite Cyprus. Germany fully and wholeheartedly supports this negotiating process, for reunification would be a huge success for everyone involved and for Europe as a whole.
That the negotiations have advanced further than ever before is due in no small part to the commitment shown by Espen Barth Eide and his persistent efforts. I very much welcome the decision by President Anastasiades and Turkish-Cypriot leader Akinci to resume their talks.
Many major stumbling stones have already been removed during the negotiations. The task now is to persevere and to continue working with courage and a willingness to compromise on the final stretch towards an agreement acceptable to all sides. I sincerely wish Espen Barth Eide, President Anastasiades and Turkish-Cypriot leader Akinci every success.
The UN Cyprus negotiations on the island’s reunification, which began in May 2015, have been conducted by both sides with great commitment and a readiness to compromise. An agreement is only possible with the consent of the three guarantor powers Greece, the UK and Turkey. Following a break in the negotiations, President Anastasiades and Turkish-Cypriot leader Akinci decided to resume their talks.
– Translation of advance text –
President of the Bundesrat Malu Dreyer,
Thank you for inviting me to Hambacher Castle for the third conference on cross-border cooperation between Germany and France. As you mentioned just now, Hambach is a most significant place in German and European history.
Members of Parliament, Members of the European Parliament, Members of the German Bundestag and the Land parliaments under Vice-President Gebhardt,
Minister of State Harlem Désir,
Minister-President Kretschmann,
President of the Regional Council Richert,
Minister of Finance and European Affairs Toscani,
Mayor Ries from Strasbourg and Mayor Gros from Metz,
Mesdames et Messieurs,
I know a thing or two about borders, ladies and gentlemen. I was born in Heringen (Werra), a small town in northern Hesse right by the former inner German border on the western side. More than a quarter of a century has passed since the fall of the Wall, and I am still delighted to be able to pass what is now a green border that once divided two whole worlds.
And because I am familiar with borders, I am quite sensitive to any attempt to put them back up again. Until recently, I couldn’t imagine that we would want to build new fences and walls in Europe once again and that parties openly advocating isolation and new borders with nationalist and populist slogans would turn out to be so popular.
This is one of the reasons why I am particularly delighted to meet so many people here at Hambach Castle who know how to overcome borders and how to go about the process of integrating border regions. Allow me to offer you cross-border experts a warm welcome! You are making an invaluable contribution to the ongoing process of European integration. Your cooperation here sets an example for cooperation elsewhere in Europe.
The vast majority of people on our continent have experienced borders. Almost 200 million people in Europe live in border regions. These borders can be very old or still very new. They were shifted over the course of centuries, with their populations coming under the wing of a succession of different governments. Such memories are still vivid especially in Alsace and in parts of Lorraine. And Hambach and the Palatinate region were also French in the past.
The upshot of this situation was that the path towards democracy and unity in Germany underwent a decisive phase especially here.
Different traditions, legal systems, languages and cultures converge in border regions. Europe’s diversity is showcased particularly vividly here. You are well acquainted with this precious legacy and are doing your utmost to preserve it. You know and experience day in, day out that borders should no longer divide us today, but should bring us together. This is particularly the case in the Schengen area, which offers citizens a particularly high degree of mobility and freedom.
Asked in a survey about barriers that restrict cross-border cooperation, 40 per cent of the inhabitants of border regions considered economic and social, as well as legal and administrative differences to be a problem.
How can we overcome such hurdles? This should be more than feasible. Indeed, much has been done already. And yet breathing life into these relations and seeking solutions for everyday coexistence along the border continues to be a huge undertaking. Ideas for this have already been drawn up, and I am sure that these will also be a topic of discussion today. Let’s continue to make progress in this area so that our border regions can continue to play a leading role in Europe for forward-looking solutions also in the future.
The Federal Government and the European Commission are supporting integration and connectivity on both sides of the EU’s internal borders. Some 6.6 billion euros have been set aside from the EU budget for Interreg projects in border regions for the 2014-2020 period.
With a relatively small budget, the projects that are being supported achieve a host of tangible results for citizens – be it the development of traffic links, cooperative projects in the education sector (such as the “Success Without Borders” project, which promotes cross-border training programmes or entire training courses in the respective neighbouring country), in health care (one example to mention here is TRISAN, a project that seeks to optimise the cooperation between health care administrations and health care providers in the Upper Rhine region), in environmental protection (such as the Interreg projects “Energiewaben – regional energy supply for the greater region” and “Power to Heat for the greater region” that collaborate with universities and companies from Germany and France) and the creation of jobs. A good example of this is the “PAMINA-Fachkräfteallianz” project.
This initiative seeks to improve the integration of job-seekers, especially those aged 45 and above, into the cross-border employment market and to help companies recruit employees.
Despite all the difficulties, the Franco-German border region shows how diverse and advantageous cooperation can be on issues that have a direct impact on citizens in border regions. The dismantlement of systematic border controls and freedoms of the single market have given rise to manifold opportunities, particularly in border regions, that yield benefits for the population on both sides of the border. The Franco-German border region is continuing to develop thanks to projects and initiatives while links between the two countries are being enhanced.
There are tangible advantages for citizens on both sides of the Franco-German border. I would like briefly to mention two examples of developments that have occurred since our conference in Metz two years ago. And both examples are quite literally cross-border in nature. Germany and France have now concluded a cross-border taxi agreement that allows passengers on both sides to cross the border and to be brought back again.
Taking a taxi is not the only way to cross the Franco-German border, however. A further project in the area of public transport is the tram connection between Strasbourg and Kehl, which has been reopened after being discontinued following the war. The Strasbourg tram is scheduled to cross the Rhine and run as far as the railway station in Kehl from this month, with an extension to Kehl’s town hall also in the pipeline.
Planning and construction of the bridge over the Rhine were co-financed with EU funds from the Interreg programme. Stakeholders from Germany and France are sharing the remaining costs for the construction of the bridge.
What is more, we adopted the treaty law on joint river policing in the Federal Cabinet just yesterday. As soon as Land Baden-Württemberg and France have signed the agreement, the river police forces on the Rhine, which have worked together successfully since 2011 to ensure greater security for Rhine river traffic, will be able to operate on a firm legal basis. While this is admittedly a comparatively small piece of the puzzle, it shows why cross-border cooperation can serve as a model for European integration as a whole. The common protection of borders is a recurrent topic of European discussions at the present. Looking at the issue on a small scale and applying lessons learned to the big picture can pay dividends here too.
However, if we genuinely intend to be successful in the EU in the long term, we must refute the nationalists and populists – not in grandiose political speeches or lofty manifestos, but by improving living conditions in a tangible way and, above all, investing in employment and education. There are, for instance, multiple forms of cooperation in the higher education sector between Germany, France and also Switzerland and Luxembourg at regional level. This is helping to interconnect training and research beyond national borders. Young people are being offered new training opportunities and research institutes are able to reap the benefits of cooperative partnerships. One example is the trilateral academic alliance European Campus – EUCOR, founded in May 2016, consisting of the universities of Basel, Freiburg, Haute-Alsace and Strasbourg, as well as the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. The European Campus brings together around 115,000 students in three countries. We will hear more about the greater region’s university in the third panel later on.
Or consider the Franco-German University, which, with its 16,000 graduates in 2015, is a unique model within the European context of bilateral cooperation in the higher education and research sectors.
The first Franco-German employment agency opened in Kehl, Land Baden-Württemberg, in February 2013. Employees of the German and French employment authority work alongside each other in Kehl. I was able to gain an impression of their excellent work on a visit last year. The employment agency’s main task is to provide information about job offers and facilitate placements for job-seekers on both sides of the border. This cooperation has since been extended to five further locations. Some 1430 job-seekers were helped to find employment in the border region in 2016.
Moreover, the employment ministers of Germany and France, Andrea Nahles and Myriam El Khomri, presented an action plan for Franco-German vocational mobility in February 2016.
Ladies and gentlemen,
One thing is particularly important to me, and that is staying in touch with young people. Young people especially must be given the opportunity to benefit from this Europe without internal borders. And I mean all young people, not only students, but also those in vocational training programmes and young career entrants. In 2016, 345 Germans and Frenchmen and women earned a certificate in a Franco-German vocational training programme. There are many such projects that aim to develop cross-border vocational training. In 2016, I had the opportunity to meet with young French participants who were being trained at Badische Stahlwerke. They are all wonderful Europeans.
Just think, they have no knowledge of German, and most of them have dropped out of school. Yet each of them decided to cross the Rhine River every day to seize a new opportunity in Kehl.
That is why I am especially pleased that, in March 2017, the Franco-German Secretariat celebrated the enrolment of the 100,000th participant in the Franco-German vocational training exchanges. Allow me to offer the Franco-German Secretariat and all participating companies my most sincere thanks for their long-standing and successful efforts. We must win the hearts and minds of young Europeans if we want to build a Europe of tomorrow that is based on solidarity.
This is about much more than a course of study or vocational training. It’s about personal development.
All those who in their youth travel abroad and interact with people from other countries are, as a rule, much less likely to buy into nationalist slogans than those who are never given the opportunity to meet and talk to foreigners. The older ones among you often had formative experiences while abroad on a school exchange, especially through exchanges between France and in Germany, or with an Interrail pass, or as a youth camp leader. That is exactly the kind of experience we need to encourage others to make today, so that our young people will become tomorrow’s committed Europeans. This is part of the mission of the Franco-German Youth Office, which conducts a wide range of programmes and activities in the border region.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Much has been accomplished since our last meeting in Metz. But we did not come here today to celebrate our achievements and pat each other on the back. Much work remains to be done, and we will keep up our efforts. Especially these days, when our European Union, and our ideas about Europe, have come under stronger pressure than ever, Europeans must provide tangible proof of the benefits that can be enjoyed through tearing down and crossing borders. What better example is there of this, ladies and gentlemen, than cross-border cooperation between Germany and France? If not here, then where? Let that be the spirit in which we roll up our sleeves and carry on!
