Dear Readers,

The UN Climate Change Conference - COP 27 - was on everyone’s mind this month as world leaders gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt for 12 days to tackle the world’s collective climate goals. At the conclusion of the conference, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated that “it was always clear that the COP 27 would not be easy” and that with the outcome, “hope and frustration were close together.” The Foreign Minister expressed frustration that an alliance of oil-rich countries and major emitters of greenhouse gases prevented overdue action to properly hold to the 1.5 degrees target. On the positive side, the world has opened a new chapter on the issue of “Loss and Damage”: A fund will be created to compensate vulnerable countries that are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. This was high on our agenda.

In other news, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was awarded the Henry A. Kissinger Prize in New York this month, which recognizes him for his outstanding contributions in international diplomacy. "Dividing the world in two, pitting 'us against them', a new formation of two antagonistic blocs is, I believe, not in our interest,” he said in his acceptance speech. “In my opinion, striving for international cooperation, establishing common rules, pursuing dialogue between different-minded parties, and seeking to establish partnerships is not a question of style. It is a question of survival."

Meanwhile, German Ambassador Emily Haber visited the state of Arkansas last week, where she met with politicians, business representatives and locals to learn about the state’s political priorities, investment opportunities and what people care about.  “It’s good to be travelling to the Heartland again”, Ambassador Haber wrote on Twitter.

Yours,

The "Germany for Americans" Team

Effective prosecution of war crimes

Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann met with his G7 counterparts in Berlin. The dramatic events in Ukraine were the focus of their work. The participants discussed how to coordinate investigation of the international crimes more effectively.

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Germany pushes for investigation into human rights situation in Iran

German Foreign Minister Baerbock wants to hold Iran accountable for the force used against peaceful demonstrators. She has successfully pushed through a German initiative in the UN Human Rights Council.

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NATO Foreign Ministers end meetings in Bucharest with focus on China, more support for partners

NATO foreign ministers ended two days of meetings in Bucharest on Wednesday (30 November 2022), with meetings focused on the long-term challenges posed by China, as well as on support for partners facing Russian pressure. “NATO is an Alliance of Europe and North America, but the challenges we face are global, and we must address them together in NATO,” said Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

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Watch NATO Secretary General’s speech

Kissinger Prize for Federal President Steinmeier

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited the US in mid-November. In New York, the American Academy presented the President Steinmeier with the Henry A. Kissinger Prize. The prize’s namesake, Henry Kissinger, gave the opening speech while former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice delivered the laudatory speech in honor of the Federal President.

Read his speech

German government wants to make it easier to obtain citizenship in Germany

The German government is planning to reform the country’s citizenship law. Among other things, the idea is to make it easier to obtain citizenship. Chancellor Scholz is canvassing for changes. 

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Declaration by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on the G7+ Foreign Ministers’ Meeting regarding emergency aid for Ukraine

In light of the ruthless Russian attacks against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, in particular energy and water facilities, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock as current Chair of the G7 Foreign Ministers invited a wider G7+ group to discuss joint efforts to provide emergency support to Ukraine in this crucial moment.

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Germany: Olaf Scholz warns against 'decoupling' economies

The German Chancellor met with leaders of the IMF, WTO, ILO, OECD and World Bank Tuesday to discuss a raft of global issues. Leaders called for smart planning and diversifying supply chains.

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UN Climate Summit COP27: “New chapter in climate policy”

For the first time, agreement has been reached on a common fund to compensate for climate loss and damage in poorer countries. Some issues remained unresolved.

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Baerbock at COP27

German government wants to facilitate immigration of skilled workers

It is to become easier for qualified workers from abroad to come to Germany. The German government has decided on the key aspects of a new law.

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Embassy hosts „Global Israel Forum“ 

The Embassy was proud to host over 100 students of American University for the first installment of the „Global Israel Forum“ since the beginning of the Covid pandemic. The Ambassador of Israel, Michael Herzog, and Professor Michael Brenner discussed the unique nature of Israeli-German relations as well as shared challenges with Ambassador Emily Haber.  “Germany and Israel have a close and unique relationship on all levels. It’s based on shared values, which makes it even more resilient,” German Ambassador Emily Haber said. “I just had the pleasure of talking with students, American University’s Michael Brenner and Ambassador Herzog about where we’re headed at these critical times.”

NFL premiere in Munich

For the first time, the National Football League played a game in Germany as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers met the Seattle Seahawks in this historic game.

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