Die Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft begrüßt die Ratifizierung des deutsch-britischen Freundschaftsvertrags durch den Deutschen Bundestag. Mit dem sogenannten „Kensington-Vertrag“ haben Deutschland und das Vereinigte Königreich einen neuen Rahmen für ihre bilateralen Beziehungen geschaffen, der die Zusammenarbeit in zentralen Bereichen wie Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik, Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft, Klima sowie Kultur und Gesellschaft vertieft.
Aus Sicht der Deutsch-Britischen Gesellschaft ist dieser Schritt ein wichtiges Signal für eine enge Partnerschaft zwischen beiden Ländern – gerade in einer Zeit wachsender geopolitischer Herausforderungen. Der Vertrag verdeutlicht, dass Deutschland und das Vereinigte Königreich auch in Zukunft eng zusammenarbeiten wollen und gemeinsame Verantwortung für Stabilität und Zusammenarbeit in Europa tragen.

Besonders begrüßt die Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft, dass sie selbst sowie die Königswinter-Konferenzen in der begleitenden Beschlussempfehlung des Auswärtigen Ausschusses des Deutschen Bundestages ausdrücklich erwähnt werden:
“Der Deutsche Bundestag begrüßt die Einbindung zivilgesellschaftlicher Akteure – insbesondere der Deutsch-Britischen Gesellschaft und der Königswinter-Konferenzen – bei der Umsetzung des Vertrags. Das Königswinter Konferenzformat soll gestärkt und auf die Themen des Vertrags hin ausgerichtet werden.” (auf Seite 5, Link zum Text hier).
Diese Anerkennung hebt die Bedeutung zivilgesellschaftlicher Netzwerke für die deutsch-britischen Beziehungen hervor. Der Vertrag betont zudem explizit die Rolle der Zivilgesellschaft bei der Umsetzung der festgelegten Ziele.

Dass die Arbeit der DBG nun ausdrücklich in einer parlamentarischen Beschlussempfehlung gewürdigt wird, ist aus Sicht der Deutsch-Britischen Gesellschaft ein starkes Zeichen für den Wert langfristiger individueller Kontakte und zivilgesellschaftlicher Diplomatie.
„Die Rolle, die der Bundestag der Deutsch-Britischen Gesellschaft und den Königswinter-Konferenzen bei der Umsetzung des Kensington Vertrages zuweist, ist eine hochwillkommene Anerkennung unserer Arbeit“, erklärt Anne Ruth Herkes, Vorsitzende der Deutsch-Britischen Gesellschaft. “Wir sehen darin einen Beweis dafür, dass dauerhafte Beziehungen zwischen Staaten nicht allein durch Regierungshandeln, sondern auch durch kontinuierlichen Austausch von Erfahrungen und Ideen zwischen Menschen und zwischen Institutionen entstehen.“
Die Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft wird auch künftig daran arbeiten, den Dialog zwischen Deutschland und dem Vereinigten Königreich zu fördern und neue Generationen für die deutsch-britische Zusammenarbeit zu gewinnen.

All documents can be viewed here:
Text of the agreement in German
Text of the agreement in English
List of the 17 lighthouse projects
Selection of projects supported by the German federal states

The lighthouse projects are to be implemented over the next 12-24 months, and new projects can then be decided on at the biennial government consultations at ministerial level under the leadership of the heads of government.

The German-British Society will actively participate in the implementation of the Kensington Treaty through the Königswinter Conferences, for which it is jointly responsible, and other projects.

Alle Informationen dazu finden Sie auf der Webseite der Botschaft. Aber ganz wichtig: Sie müssen sich bis zum 02. Februar ins Wählerverzeichnis eintragen lassen. Das geht auch mit einem Antrag per Mail.

Weitere Informationen finden Sie hier: https://uk.diplo.de/uk-de/02/wahlen

Die Ankündigung von Botschafter Berger auf X können Sie sich hier ansehen: https://x.com/GermanAmbUK/status/1882037649474785412

Nach Brexit und nach dem Angriff Russlands auf die Ukraine muss die Freundschaft zwischen Großbritannien und Deutschland neu entwickelt werden. Die deutsch-britischen Gesellschaften in Deutschland wollen daran aktiv mitwirken.

Die Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft Berlin hat heute gemeinsam mit weiteren deutsch-britischen Gesellschaften in Deutschland eine Erklärung mit dem Titel veröffentlicht: Wir stärken die Freundschaft zwischen Großbritannien und Deutschland. Den Wortlaut der Erklärung finden sie hier. Die Gesellschaften betonen darin die Mitverantwortung der Zivilgesellschaft und insbesondere der seit vielen Jahrzehnten arbeitenden deutsch-britischen Gesellschaften für die beständige und pro-aktive Pflege der Beziehungen zwischen beiden Ländern. Thomas Matussek, Vorsitzender der Deutsch-Britischen Gesellschaft Berlin, sagte: „Der strategische Dialog zwischen den Regierungen, der 2021 beschlossen wurde und der heute mit dem Besuch des britischen Außenministers Lord Cameron fortgesetzt wird, kann nur wirksam werden, wenn er aus der Zivilgesellschaft begleitet und gefördert wird. Dafür wünschen wir uns eine enge Zusammenarbeit mit dem Auswärtigen Amt.“

Die Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft ist seit über 70 Jahren die deutsche Partnerin in der Organisation und Durchführung der sogenannten Königswinter Konferenzen. Jährlich finden 4 Konferenzen statt: Neben einer großen Konferenz für politische Entscheidungsträger und Multiplikatoren und zwei Spezialkonferenzen für Verteidigung und für Wirtschaftsfragen ist dies die Young Königswinter Conference für young leaders aus beiden Ländern. Außerdem werden in Berlin, an vielen anderen Orten in Deutschland sowie online laufend Veranstaltungen zu verschiedenen Themen angeboten. Mit zahlreichen Partnern in Großbritannien arbeiten die Gesellschaften eng und vertrauensvoll zusammen.

Für weitere Informationen stehen zur Verfügung:
• Thomas Matussek, Botschafter a.D., Vorsitzender: T: 030 203 9850 Mail: matussek@debrige.de
• Dr. Rupert Graf Strachwitz, stv. Vorsitzender: T: 0173 5778676 Mail: rs@maecenata.eu
• Mari Mittelhaus, Geschäftsführerin: T: 0176 442 648 65 Mail: mittelhaus@debrige.de

An executive summary of the survey can be found here.
Further information on the survey can be found on the German Embassy London website.

Anlässlich der bevorstehenden Krönung von König Charles III. und Königin-Gemahlin Camilla (nach der Krönung wird sie Königin Camilla heißen) möchten wir auf den Staatsbesuch Ende März zurückblicken.

Dazu sagte Thomas Matussek, Vorsitzender der Deutsch-Britischen Gesellschaft:
“Der Staatsbesuch hat das gute und enge Verhältnis unserer beiden Länder, nicht zuletzt auch emotionale Verhältnis unserer beiden Völker zueinander, vertieft. Es wurde deutlich: Der Brexit hat keine größeren Schäden hinterlassen. Auch insofern war der Besuch ein voller Erfolg.”

Und Rupert Graf Strachwitz, stellvertretender Vorsitzender:
„In dem Aushandlungsprozess zwischen Staatsoberhaupt und Regierung, der im britischen Verfassungssystem jeder Reise des Königs vorausgeht, hat sich dieser offenkundig mit seiner deutlichen Betonung der historisch gewachsenen Freundschaft zwischen dem Vereinigten Königreich und Deutschland und seinem Plädoyer für deren Neubelebung durchgesetzt. Wir können dem aus vollem Herzen beipflichten.“

Vom offiziellen Willkommen mit militärischen Ehren am Brandenburger Tor, dem Staatsbankett in Schloss Bellevue, der Rede des Königs im Bundestag bis zum großen Abschlussempfang in Hamburg hatten verschiedene Vorstandsmitglieder der DBG und die Geschäftsführerin Gelegenheit, am Programm des Staatsbesuchs teilzunehmen und dort einige Freundinnen und Freunde zu treffen. Wir haben unsere Eindrücke fotografisch festgehalten und für Sie zusammengestellt:

Die Rede von König Charles III. im Deutschen Bundestag können Sie sich hier ansehen und hier durchlesen, auch die Tischreden des Staatsbanketts können Sie sich hier noch ansehen.
Eine Auflistung des gesamten Programms des Staatsbesuches finden Sie hier.

Der Vorsitzende, und in einem Fall auch die Geschäftsführerin, gaben in dieser Woche verschiedenen Medien Interviews, Sie können sie hier nachhören:
rbb Inforadio
WDR 5
Al Jazeera English

Die Aufzeichnung der von der DBG organisierten Diskussion anlässlich des Besuchs mit Claus Budelmann OBE, Annette Dittert und Thomas Matussek können Sie sich hier ansehen.

Bundespräsident Frank-Walter Steinmeier und Elke Büdenbender empfangen König Charles III. und Königin-Gemahlin Camilla des Vereinigten Königreichs Großbritannien und Nordirland vom 29. bis 31. März zu ihrem ersten Staatsbesuch in Deutschland. Der Besuch noch vor der Krönungszeremonie am 6. Mai würdigt die enge Freundschaft zwischen dem Vereinigten Königreich und Deutschland und unterstreicht die zahlreichen Facetten der Beziehungen beider Länder.

Im Programm des Staatsbesuchs spiegeln sich Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und Zukunft: von Gedenken und Versöhnung über den Umgang mit den aktuellen Herausforderungen des russischen Angriffskriegs gegen die Ukraine bis hin zum gemeinsamen Engagement im Klimaschutz und bei der Energiewende.

Am Nachmittag des 29. März begrüßen der Bundespräsident und Elke Büdenbender das britische Königspaar mit militärischen Ehren am Brandenburger Tor in Berlin, wo es für interessierte Bürgerinnen und Bürger die Gelegenheit zur Begegnung gibt. Anschließend lädt Bundespräsident Steinmeier zu einem Empfang zum Thema “Energiewende und Nachhaltigkeit” in Schloss Bellevue ein, um dem König einen Eindruck von Deutschlands nationalen und internationalen Engagement für Klimaschutz und Energiewende zu geben. Am Abend laden Bundespräsident Steinmeier und Elke Büdenbender zu einem Staatsbankett zu Ehren des Königs und der Königin-Gemahlin, bei dem die Staatsoberhäupter Tischreden halten.

Am 30. März wohnt der Bundespräsident einer Rede von König Charles III. im Deutschen Bundestag bei. Im Anschluss besuchen die Staatsoberhäupter das Ukraine-Ankunftszentrum im ehemaligen Flughafen Tegel und treffen ukrainische Geflüchtete zum Gespräch. Während Elke Büdenbender und Königin-Gemahlin Camilla am Nachmittag die Komische Oper besuchen, treffen Bundespräsident Steinmeier und König Charles III. im brandenburgischen Finowfurt mit deutschen und britischen Soldatinnen und Soldaten des Deutsch-Britischen Pionierbrückenbataillons 130 beim Brückenbau über die Havel-Oder Wasserstraße zusammen. Es folgt ein Besuch im Ökodorf Brodowin, wo u.a. Gespräche zu den Themen grüne Landwirtschaft, ländlicher Raum, Vertrieb von ökologischen Produkten sowie Feuchtgebietsschutz stattfinden.

Am Morgen des 31. März begleiten Bundespräsident Steinmeier und Elke Büdenbender ihre Staatsgäste nach Hamburg. Nach einem Besuch des Denkmals “Kindertransport – Der letzte Abschied” folgt eine gemeinsame Kranzniederlegung am Mahnmal St. Nikolai. Die ehemalige Hauptkirche St. Nikolai wurde während britischer und amerikanischer Luftangriffe auf Hamburg 1943 zerstört.

Vor dem Hamburger Rathaus, in dem sich das Königspaar ins Goldene Buch einträgt, gibt es die Gelegenheit für ein Zusammentreffen mit Bürgerinnen und Bürgern. Am Nachmittag tauschen sich der Bundespräsident und der König während einer Bootsfahrt im Hafen mit Unternehmerinnen und Unternehmern zu den Themen grüne Energie und Hafenentwicklung in Hamburg aus. Gleichzeitig besuchen Elke Büdenbender und die Königin-Gemahlin die Rudolf-Roß-Grundschule, die bilingual auf Deutsch und Englisch unterrichtet. Der Staatsbesuch endet mit einem Empfang auf Einladung der Britischen Botschaft.

Der Bundespräsident und Elke Büdenbender freuen sich sehr darauf, König Charles III. und seine Gemahlin zu einem Staatsbesuch in Deutschland willkommen zu heißen. Der Bundespräsident in einer Videobotschaft: “Ich weiß diesen Staatsbesuch umso mehr zu schätzen, als der König sich entschlossen hat, noch vor seiner Krönung zu uns nach Deutschland zu kommen. Dieser frühe Besuch unterstreicht die enge und herzliche Freundschaft zwischen unseren Ländern und unseren Bürgerinnen und Bürgern.”

Der letzte Besuch des britischen Königspaars – damals noch Prinz von Wales und Herzogin von Cornwall – in Deutschland fand im November 2020 statt. Bundespräsident Steinmeier und Elke Büdenbender waren zuletzt zur Beisetzung von Königin Elizabeth II. im September 2022 im Vereinigten Königreich.

Kurzprogramm:
Mittwoch, 29. März

Nachmittags, Berlin, Brandenburger Tor
Begrüßung von König Charles III. und Königin-Gemahlin Camilla mit militärischen Ehren durch den Bundespräsidenten und Elke Büdenbender

Anschließend
Gemeinsame Begegnung mit Bürgerinnen und Bürgern

Hinweis für die Teilnahme von Bürgerinnen und Bürgern: Zugang und Sicherheitskontrolle am Pariser Platz, begrenzte Zulassung ab 10.30 Uhr bis spätestens 13.30 Uhr. Die Mitnahme von Flaschen in den Veranstaltungsbereich ist nicht möglich.

Anschließend, Schloss Bellevue
Begrüßung am Schlossportal und Gästebucheintrag von König Charles III. und Königin-Gemahlin Camilla

Anschließend
Ansprache des Bundespräsidenten bei einem Empfang zum Thema “Energiewende und Nachhaltigkeit”

Abends
Staatsbankett zu Ehren von König Charles III. und Königin-Gemahlin Camilla, gegeben vom Bundespräsidenten und Elke Büdenbender, mit Tischreden der Staatsoberhäupter

Donnerstag, 30. März

Mittags, Reichstagsgebäude
Rede von König Charles III. vor den Mitgliedern des Deutschen Bundestages

Anschließend, Flughafen Tegel
Besuch des Bundespräsidenten und von König Charles III. im Ukraine-Ankunftszentrum und Gespräche mit ukrainischen Geflüchteten

Nachmittags, Komische Oper
Besuch von Elke Büdenbender und Königin-Gemahlin Camilla in der Komischen Oper

Nachmittags, Brandenburg, Finowfurt
Begegnung des Bundespräsidenten und von König Charles III. mit Soldatinnen und Soldaten des Deutsch-Britischen Pionierbrückenbataillons 130 beim Brückenbau über die Havel-Oder Wasserstraße

Anschließend, Brodowin
Besuch des Bundespräsidenten und von König Charles III. im Ökodorf Brodowin

Freitag, 31. März

Vormittags, Hauptbahnhof Berlin
Fahrt mit dem Zug nach Hamburg

Mittags, Hamburg
Besuch des Denkmals “Kindertransport – Der letzte Abschied”

Anschließend, Mahnmal St. Nikolai
Kranzniederlegung am Mahnmal

Anschließend, Rathausmarkt
Gemeinsame Begegnung mit Bürgerinnen und Bürgern am Hamburger Rathaus und Eintrag von König Charles III. und Königin-Gemahlin Camilla ins Goldene Buch im Hamburger Rathaus

Anschließend, Kreuzfahrtterminal Altona
Bootsfahrt des Bundespräsidenten und von König Charles III.

Nachmittags, Rudolf-Roß-Grundschule
Besuch von Elke Büdenbender und Königin-Gemahlin Camilla in der Grundschule

Anschließend, Schuppen 52
Empfang, gegeben von der Britischen Botschaft

Text und Informationen von der Website des Bundespräsidenten.

Der Bundespräsident hat König Charles III persönlich anlässlich der Trauerfeier für Elisabeth II eingeladen. Er kommt, als besonderes Zeichen der Verbundenheit zu Deutschland, schon vor der Krönung. Er ist mitgeprägt durch die Erziehung durch Kurt Hahn in Gordonstoun.

Die Ankündigung von Buckingham Palace können Sie hier lesen.

Die Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft organisiert am 29. März um 17.00 Uhr eine Zoom-Diskussion anlässlich des Besuchs mit Claus Budelmann OBE, Annette Dittert und Thomas Matussek. Weitere Informationen zur Veranstaltung finden Sie hier.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas today, 30 June 2021, signed a Joint Declaration on foreign and security policy cooperation.

The Joint Declaration sets out shared UK-Germany priorities and ambitions on a range of issues including climate change, China and the Indo-Pacific and shared values. It is the first such bilateral agreement between the UK and Germany on foreign and security policy issues.

The text also mentions the Königswinter Conferences: “30. We consider the Königswinter Conferences, the Outlook Group and other groups to be key fora for outreach and feedback, and an opportunity to maintain a strong and close relationship with the foreign policy community. Also beyond this domain we consider close ties between our civil societies to be of great importance and we commit to engaging jointly in fostering their cooperation.”

The Joint Declaration comes as the UK prepares to welcome German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the UK for an official visit on Friday.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:

Germany is an essential ally and together we are tackling global issues from climate change to humanitarian crises. The Joint Declaration will strengthen our bilateral co-operation on foreign and security policy for years to come.

Over 20 named issues are covered by the Joint Declaration, demonstrating UK-German commitment to continue to provide leadership on issues of global importance.

These include the shared desire to strengthen cooperation in humanitarian affairs in order to respond better to humanitarian crises, including seeking to agree coordinated action to unblock humanitarian access and protection constraints in countries at risk of famine and strengthen anticipatory approaches to crisis.

The Declaration also establishes an annual Foreign Minister Strategic Dialogue, which will “assure a high level of cooperation and coordination on all matters of foreign policy”.

Germany is the UK’s second biggest trading partner and every fifth international publication by German scientists is in collaboration with UK institutions. The UK and Germany cooperate closely on foreign and security policy issues both bilaterally and through multilateral bodies such as NATO, the G7 and the United Nations. Germany will take over the G7 Presidency from the UK next year.

Joint Declaration by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Introduction

1.Germany and the United Kingdom are strong and like-minded global partners. We want to cooperate closely in order to provide responsible leadership on foreign policy issues in support of multilateralism and a rules-based international order. Our cooperation is rooted in our European and universal values, our global approach and our shared institutional framework as members of the UN, NATO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and other multilateral fora such as the WTO, WHO, G7 and the G20, and as signatories to the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

2. With this Joint Declaration, we affirm our commitment to the strategic unity of Europe and our joint unconditional commitment to Euro-Atlantic security. Furthermore, we are enhancing our long-standing close bilateral cooperation and consultation on foreign and security policy issues by establishing a strategic dialogue.

3. For Germany, its membership of the European Union remains a key reference point and it supports cooperation between the EU and the UK. Regarding bilateral undertakings, Germany, as an EU Member State, will ensure the highest possible level of transparency towards the institutions and Member States of the European Union.

A joint global responsibility

4. We will jointly promote a more peaceful, secure and safer world, respect for democracy, the rule of law, global education and human rights including gender equality, media freedom, freedom of religion and belief, and addressing the human rights dimensions both of climate change and of the use of artificial intelligence. We will deepen our cooperation in the fight against poverty, climate change, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. We will continue to work together to combat the threat of terrorism, take strong action against organised crime and tackle malicious activity and hostile threats from both state and non-state actors.

5. We will join forces to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and to tackle future global health crises. Jointly, we will promote a multilateral approach to addressing global health challenges especially by strengthening WHO as the leading and coordinating authority of the global health system. We will strive to protect equitable access to goods such as vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. We will work together on future pandemic preparedness and seek to reduce the spread and impact of zoonotic diseases, following a One Health approach across human, animal and environmental health. We recognise the importance of stronger, more resilient health systems to ensuring that countries are better able to prevent, detect and respond to health threats.

6. We will work together to lead international efforts to tackle climate change and its implications for international peace and security, and to improve the coherence of global action to protect the environment.

7. We will promote global efforts to address the root causes of conflict, instability and inequalities, which requires, inter alia, that the Sustainable Development Goals be achieved worldwide. We will work together to help end child labour and forced labour and foster responsible business conduct in global supply chains. We support youth education and empowerment for a positive contribution to their societies.

8. We will strengthen our cooperation in humanitarian affairs in order to respond better to humanitarian crises, including seeking to agree coordinated action to unblock humanitarian access and protection constraints in countries at risk of famine and strengthen anticipatory approaches to crisis. We will enhance cooperation on conflict-prevention including stabilisation and peace building by establishing a UK-Germany Stabilisation Partnership. We will collaborate closely to ensure that our crisis engagement is gender responsive, and thus jointly contribute to the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

Supporting a multilateral rules-based global architecture

9. We reaffirm our commitment to the rules-based international system and to the necessary reforms to ensure effective multilateral institutions. We underscore the core role of the United Nations in promoting a rules-based global order, maintaining international peace and security and promoting multilateral solutions to global problems. We remain jointly committed to working within the United Nations, in an effort to prevent violent conflict, respond to international crises and promote human rights. We commit to cooperating as closely as possible on all United Nations Security Council matters. We affirm our support for the efforts in the area of United Nations reform, making it fit for purpose. We will also advance reform of the United Nations Security Council. We support a new permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council for the Federal Republic of Germany.

10. NATO is the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security. It remains the bedrock of our collective defence. We recognise the importance of a stronger and more capable European contribution to this. We remain jointly committed to NATO-EU co-operation. We strive to strengthen our co-operation in areas such as resilience, including cyber security and countering hybrid threats, security in space, military mobility in Europe, addressing China and climate security. In line with the decision made at the 2021 NATO summit, we will work together with allies to update the 2010 Strategic Concept as a means of strengthening NATO cohesion and the Alliance as a whole.

11. We will work together to strengthen the international disarmament, arms control, arms export control and non-proliferation architecture. We reaffirm our commitment to multilateral nuclear disarmament and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons which is the essential cornerstone of the nuclear non-proliferation regime. We will reinforce the Chemical Weapons Convention’s prohibition of all chemical weapons. We will work together to promote a substantive and effective review conference of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. We recognise the vital work of the OSCE in furthering conventional arms control and confidence- and security-building measures in Europe.

12. Against the backdrop of emerging and enduring threats, we commit to bolstering cooperation on combatting the challenges associated with cyber, critical technologies, disinformation, hybrid and hostile state activity more broadly, also as a means of strengthening our collective resilience. Building on our High-Level Dialogue on Cyber, we are seeking to establish closer operational cooperation, aiming at developing joint approaches to international governance, resilience of our societies and – as NATO Allies – deterrence, defending our democratic values and maintaining open societies. We will seek to build the capacity, agility, and resolve of our partners and Allies, in Europe and beyond, to counter the shared security challenges we face.

A shared strategic vision

We share a strategic vision on broader foreign and security policy issues:

13. Transatlantic relationship: Our joint approach to foreign and security policy issues is rooted in a Euro-Atlantic perspective. We recognise the importance of working with the United States to ensure strategic stability and European and international security, to address global challenges, tackle climate change and to work towards solutions for regional conflicts. Together with the U.S. we will strive to strengthen the multilateral, rules-based order anchored in our shared values, respect for human rights and the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. We will work together to strengthen and renew this partnership in the future, also through multilateral cooperation and coordination, incl. in the UN, the G7, the G20, OSCE, and NATO, and between NATO and the EU.

14. Russia: With Russia continuing to pose a challenge to European security we will strengthen our and our partners’ resilience against Russia’s destabilising behaviour. We will show firmness in our principles to uphold international law or international commitments and the principles of the rules-based security order in Europe against any violations. We will address malign behaviour by Russia, working closely with other Euro-Atlantic partners to protect national security interests. At the same time, we are both convinced that a constructive and mutually benefitting relationship with Russia is possible and in our shared interest. We are committed to conducting constructive dialogue with Russia through appropriate channels in order to make clear our expectations and to discuss our ideas for concrete solutions on issues of common interest.

15. China and Indo-Pacific: The Indo-Pacific is a region of great opportunity, at the centre of global economic and population growth, but also with unresolved conflicts and strategic competition, and threats to governance models and open societies. China’s economic and political influence is growing. On the basis of our shared values, we will work closely together on areas where China’s role and influence matters, strengthening the rules-based international system and international governance structures such as the UN, the WTO and the Bretton Woods institutions, and holding China to its international commitments, including on human rights. We will work together with partners throughout the Indo-Pacific region, supporting sustainable economic growth, upholding global norms and being a force for good. We will make common efforts to strengthen our institutions and the resilience of our societies against challenges associated with China’s increasing importance. Many countries in the region are strongly affected by the ongoing geopolitical shifts and would like to see stronger European engagement in Asia. We are committed to working in concert with our partners to realise the opportunities and manage the risks.

16. Climate change and biodiversity: We share the view that climate change, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss constitute some of the most urgent challenges of our times. We commit to making the fight against climate change, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss as priority issues for our bilateral cooperation and we will, through joint diplomacy and shared initiatives foster global efforts to tackle these interlinked challenges and their manifold consequences for global peace, liberty, health and prosperity. Ahead of COP26 we will align our asks of third countries to ensure our messages have maximum impact, and engage in joint lobbying where appropriate.

A common approach on regional policies

We agree to strive for a common approach to pressing foreign policy issues, such as:

17. Western Balkans: We reaffirm our shared commitment to the security, stability, prosperity and full sovereignty of all six Western Balkans countries in line with their European and EuroAtlantic paths. We emphasise the importance of advancing the rule of law and we commit to working closely together to support the Western Balkans countries in promoting regional cooperation, tackling corruption and organised crime, especially illicit finance, and to addressing legacy issues of the past, notably Missing Persons, including in the context of the Berlin Process.

18. Eastern Europe and the Southern Caucasus: We reaffirm our shared commitment to security, stability, prosperity, democracy and the rule of law in Eastern Europe and the Southern Caucasus and support multilateral cooperation. We continue to support reform processes in all six countries of the region in order to achieve tangible progress for the public, and to increase the partner countries’ resilience to internal and external shocks. We emphasise the importance of sustainable reform implementation, particularly regarding rule of law and good governance and pressing issues including climate change. With regard to the Southern Caucasus, we underline our support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and for the full implementation of the 2008 ceasefire agreement. On the conflict on Nagorno Karabakh, we stress the need for a lasting political solution between Armenia and Azerbaijan as the only way for rapprochement and reconciliation of the two people.

19. Ukraine: Standing fully behind Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we strongly support the Normandy format and the continuation of the Minsk process discussions in order to achieve peace and stability in the region. We underline the need for implementing ambitious reforms in order to strengthen Ukraine’s institutions. Together, we support Ukraine’s challenging reform agenda.

20. Turkey/Eastern Mediterranean: We recognise the geopolitical strategic importance of Turkey and the need to work together on a wide range of mutual interests, including our support for UN-led efforts for a Cyprus settlement and stability in Libya, Syria, Iraq and the wider region as well as migration management and the fight against human trafficking and terrorism. We reaffirm our shared commitment to the democracy, rule of law and prosperity of Turkey and will seek to develop relations with Turkey on that basis. To this end, we will intensify our cooperation with Turkey in shared institutional frameworks in order to support the rules-based international order and Turkey’s European orientation (e.g. through NATO, Council of Europe, OSCE and G20).

21. Middle East: We will work together as a priority to preserve and fully implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) on Iran and address wider concerns, including destabilising Iranian activity. We will work with partners in the region to reduce existing tensions and support a regional approach to dialogue on security issues. We reaffirm our commitment to a sustainable political settlement in Syria. We will not consider reconstruction assistance until a comprehensive, genuine and inclusive political settlement is firmly underway. We remain committed to a sovereign, stable, united and resilient Iraqi state that contributes to regional stability and is capable of undertaking the reforms necessary for its reconstruction.

22. We intend to call on all parties involved in the conflict in Yemen to engage constructively in an inclusive UN-led political process, and to guarantee safe, rapid, and unimpeded access for principled humanitarian assistance, as well as vital commercial imports. We reaffirm our commitment to the UN-led humanitarian response. We support a negotiated two-state solution for the Middle East Peace Process, based on the internationally accepted parameters, and guaranteeing the security of Israel, as well as the legitimate expectations and rights of the Palestinians. We are ready to contribute to all credible efforts to restart the peace process. We are committed to comprehensive and long-term support to help stabilise Libya. We welcome the international framework provided by the Berlin Conference. We intend to call on all parties to the conflict to engage constructively with the UN process, respecting the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya, and upholding their commitments under international law. We will work together closely in order to enhance our partnership and cooperation with North African countries.

23. Africa: We reaffirm our joint commitment to supporting peace, security, stability, open societies and more prosperous countries, based on sustainable and green economic models in Africa and to jointly addressing issues of migration from and within the continent as well as population dynamics. We aim at intensifying coordination, working with African partners and in international fora on issues of mutual interest and in a spirit of true partnership. We will place particular emphasis on a continuing close cooperation in support of security and stabilisation in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel. We reaffirm our commitment to supporting efforts to rebuild and strengthen the Somali state, and deliver a comprehensive security transition, as well as to strengthening the emerging democratic institutions of Sudan and to supporting a sustainable resolution of the economic crisis. Germany and the United Kingdom are strongly engaged in the Sahel region to improve security and stability, to foster development, to provide humanitarian assistance and to strengthen governance and ownership. The fight against climate change and environmental degradation, and the tackling of its security implications for Africa as the continent hardest hit by global warming also ranks very high on our common agenda. We will coordinate our advocacy for supporting Africa on climate issues, and work together to encourage investments in a green recovery, energy transition and nature regeneration in the region.

24. Central Asia: We will work together to support the governments of Central Asia to become more open to reform and increasingly aligned with the rules-based international system, recognising the potential of Central Asia to act as a bridge between Europe and Asia. We commit to working with the Central Asia region as a whole, as well as with individual countries, to become more resilient to external threats, inter alia through good governance and the development of globally integrated economies, which attract international investment in order to offer stability and opportunities to citizens, including women, minorities and the younger generation. Through cooperation and dialogue, we will champion values including democratisation and human rights – promoting an active Civil Society and developing a diverse and vibrant media. On climate change we will continue to encourage governments to make and deliver ambitious commitments on the use of clean energy, protection of environment and sustainable use of resources respecting the long-term needs of both citizens and regional partners while recognising the close link between climate change and security.

25. DPRK: We will continue to support firm and effective measures to encourage the DPRK to engage in meaningful dialogue and take concrete steps towards the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of its illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

26. Afghanistan and Pakistan: We will continue to work together closely in Afghanistan including through NATO, to promote Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace efforts. We are committed to countering terrorism, enhancing security, fostering stability, and promoting socio-economic development in order to help the people of Afghanistan and improve regional stability. We will continue to maintain our cooperation in Pakistan in order to support stability and prosperity in the region.

27. Latin America and the Caribbean: The United Kingdom and Germany recognise the vast potential offered by cooperating with Latin America and the Caribbean. We will maintain a close dialogue on issues with a regional impact such as the Venezuelan migration and refugee crisis and the mitigation of and adaptation to, existing impacts of climate change.

Strategic dialogue

28. We have jointly decided to hold an annual Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue on all matters of foreign policy and international affairs. This Strategic Dialogue will provide guidance to assure a high level of cooperation and coordination in all matters of foreign policy.

29. Regular consultations should also be held between Permanent and State Secretaries, Political Directors, Regional Directors, Policy Planning Units, Legal Advisors and UN Directors and Permanent Representatives.

30. We consider the Königswinter Conferences, the Outlook Group and other groups to be key fora for outreach and feedback, and an opportunity to maintain a strong and close relationship with the foreign policy community. Also beyond this domain we consider close ties between our civil societies to be of great importance and we commit to engaging jointly in fostering their cooperation.

This Joint Declaration of Intent was signed in the German and English languages, both texts being equivalent.

London and Berlin, 30 June 2021

Dominic Raab, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, UK

Heiko Maas, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Germany

Taken from the FCDO press release.

The speech was delivered in English and in German, this is the full text in English.
Mr. President,
President of the Bundestag,
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is a particular honour to have been invited to speak here today, on this solemn and special occasion, and to join you in eternal remembrance of all victims of war and tyranny. In this memorable year, marking seventy-five years of peace and friendship between us, it gives my wife and myself such great pride to return to Germany, and to renew those enduring bonds between our two countries.
I have been coming to Germany since I was just thirteen years old, and first visited Berlin nearly fifty years ago. Over the decades, I have been struck by the ways in which this remarkable city embodies so much of the history of our continent, and all that we have been through. After the devastation of conflict, and the tragedy of division, it has not only endured but triumphed, liberated from flawed and distorted ideologies so that hope and the human spirit could prevail.
Berlin reminds us that the fortunes of all Europeans have been dependent on one another for centuries. The relationships we enjoy today are built on foundations dug deep in the bedrock of our common experience, anchored by bonds running North and South, East and West, through our diverse communities and across our borders.
The connections between the British and German people go back at least as far as the Roman Empire, evolving within a shared civilisation, and woven with threads drawn back and forth through the years. For many of us, those ties are personal, with family connections and associations which remain greatly treasured to this day.
Our people have prospered from one another through commerce, since the Hanseatic League established a trading relationship which continues to drive our shared prosperity. However, the relationship between us has always been so much more than a transactional one. We have long viewed each other with fascination – admiring of each other’s culture and inspired by each other’s ideas, we have influenced and borrowed from one another in a virtuous circle of reinforcing connections that have strengthened and enriched us both.
The examples are myriad. It was a German, Hans Holbein the Younger, who became the first celebrated artist in England. Half a century later, German was the first language into which Shakespeare was translated. The English landscape garden was brought to Germany by Prince Leopold III of Anhalt-Dessau who, inspired by the models of Stourhead and Stowe, laid out the magnificent gardens at Wörlitz of which I am proud to be Patron. One can scarcely imagine where the British musical tradition would be without the influence of Bach, Beethoven or Brahms; and the music of Georg Friedrich Handel, who was born a German but died British, has been played at the Coronation of every British Sovereign since that of my seven times great grandfather, King George.
Throughout the nineteenth century, German scientific and artistic thought shaped British life, encouraged, in part, by the leadership of my great, great, great, grandfather, Prince Albert, The Prince Consort. German was a vitally important language for British academics to acquire, at a time when German immigration to Britain grew significantly and Schroders Bank and Reuters News Agency helped shape London’s global role. It was not as remarkable as it perhaps now seems, that at the outbreak of the First World War four members of the British cabinet had studied at German Universities. It is similarly striking, that in the years after that conflict, British students flocked back to Germany for the exposure to German culture that they, and their parents, considered to be so essential to their education.
Looking back through the prism of two world wars, with all the cruel distortions rendered by conflict and loss, so many of those close connections between Britain and Germany became obscured. And yet, as our countries, and our people, set to the difficult task of rebuilding this continent – and our trust in one another – the deep and historic well of shared experience from which we drew, enabled the seeds of reconciliation to take root and flourish.
And so, over these past seventy-five years, our two countries have been restored to our natural position of allies and friends. Britain was by Germany’s side through those extraordinary years of post-war reconstruction. We have watched, with profound admiration, the remarkable success of Germany’s peaceful reunification over the past thirty years, and with deep respect for the example that she has offered the world.
Today our countries stand together as indispensable partners in almost every field of endeavour imaginable, conscious of our past but confident about our future. As the message read on the wreath that you, Mr. President, laid at the Cenotaph in London two years ago this week, let us “remember side by side, grateful for reconciliation, hopeful for a future in peace and friendship.”
Reconciliation is a difficult but essential process, as I have seen in almost every corner of the globe, as well as on the islands of my own country. That we have healed so much division on our continent is cause for sustained gratitude and the utmost pride. However, as thankful as we should be for how far we have come, I know that many of you share my view that we must take nothing for granted.
We can never reconcile ourselves to the horrors of the past as simply the events of another age – distant, timebound, disconnected from our present lives. Nor can any of us assume that they are someone else’s burden to bear. Instead, the searing relevance of the past to the present day, and to our future, makes it our solemn and shared responsibility to ensure that heartbreaking lessons are learned and heeded by each successive generation.
The former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Rabbi Lord Sacks, who so tragically died earlier this month, wrote that “a future of reconciliation can, in some measure at least, retrospectively redeem the past.” He was quite right, of course. Otherwise not only do we compound past wrongs and amplify their effect, but we fail all those who struggled and died for a better tomorrow.
In this, we must work together. We must remain vigilant against threats to our values and our freedoms; and never rest in seeking to create mutual understanding and respect. We must be resolute in addressing acts of unspeakable cruelty against people for reasons of their religion, their race or their beliefs, wherever they occur in the world. We must stand alongside each in determined defence of the future we owe our children and our grandchildren.
The challenges to that future are manifest – whether from this dreadful pandemic which threatens not just our public health but our prosperity and security; or from the existential threat to our planet, and our way of life, from climate change and catastrophic biodiversity loss.
These crises demand that we act together, and the partnership between the United Kingdom and Germany offers such a vital opportunity in this regard. We are heavily invested in each other’s futures, such that our national interests, whilst distinct, will always be entwined.
Our countries are instinctive problem-solvers, working together to find innovative and practical solutions to the challenges we see in the world around us – on global health and vaccine development; clean growth and renewable energy; forest protection and biodiversity; and climate action in developing countries. Together, we stand resolutely in defence of our shared values, as champions of human rights and the Rules Based International System. Together, we are an indispensable force for good in our world.
The English poet, John Donne, famously wrote that “no man is an island entire of itself. Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” One might equally submit that no country is really an island either, other than in the wholly literal sense. Our histories bind us tightly together and our destinies, although each our own to forge, are interdependent to a considerable degree.
Mr. President, President of the Bundestag, Ladies and Gentlemen
The United Kingdom has chosen a future outside the European Union, and the relationship between our countries is evolving once again. Its shape is a matter negotiated between our governments and its essence is defined by the enduring connections between our people. It is, therefore, my heartfelt belief that the fundamental bond between us will remain strong: we will always be friends, partners and allies.
As our countries begin this new chapter in our long history, let us reaffirm our bond for the years ahead. Let us reflect on all that we have been through together, and all that we have learned. Let us remember all victims of war, tyranny and persecution; those who laid down their lives for the freedoms we cherish, and those who struggle for these freedoms to this day. They inspire us to strive for a better tomorrow – let us make this our common cause.

You can read the German version of the speech here.

You can watch a video of the speech (in German) here.

Artikel erschienen in:
Dorothea Merk und Rüdiger Ahrens: “‘Suspicious Federal Chancellor’ versus ‘Weak Prime Minister’: Konrad Adenauer and Harold Macmillan in the British and West German Quality Press during the Berlin Crisis (1959 to 1962). A Critical Discourse Analysis” In: Juliane House und Themis Kaniklidou (Hrsg.): Proceedings of the 1st International Conference Europe in Discourse: Identity, Diversity, Borders. Online in Internet: URL: http://europeindiscourse.eu/images/EID-Conference-1-Proceedings.pdf Section I, Page 101 [Stand: 25.01.2018].