27.12.2024: Georgia: Baerbock wants consultations on suspension of EU membership process
Berlin (dpa) – Due to the Georgian government’s anti-European stance and the violence against pro-European protesters, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is proposing negotiations on the formal suspension of the EU membership process. The ruling Georgian Dream party had “deliberately stalled the membership process with its anti-European shift” and thereby “effectively suspended it”, she said, according to a statement issued by the federal Foreign Office. “In the EU, we should now discuss the formal suspension of the Georgian membership process due to the increasingly authoritarian policies pursued by the Georgian Dream,” the statement continued.
Baerbock emphasized that the granting of EU candidate status in December 2023 was linked to “clear promises of reform”. “But instead of progress, we’re seeing an alarming regression.” As a consequence, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs has scaled back its cooperation with the authorities in the country and suspended aid projects worth more than 200 million euros. Germany is also discussing further measures with its EU partners – according to Baerbock, these range from “the withdrawal of visa-free travel for Georgian officials to targeted sanctions”.
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23.12.2024: Baerbock warns of war between Turkey and Kurds
Berlin (dpa) – Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has warned against a war between Turkey and the Kurds in Syria. “This is exactly what needs to be avoided,” she said in an interview, adding that there would be no benefit to anyone if the Islamic State (IS) terrorists were the ones to gain from a confrontation with the Kurds. This would pose a security threat to Syria, Turkey and Europe, the minister said. Turkey has repeatedly launched military operations against the Kurdish YPG militia in northern Syria in the past. Meanwhile, the Kurdish militia is an important partner for the United States in the fight against the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS) in Syria. Baerbock noted that it was the Kurds in particular who had pushed IS back, adding that Turkey “obviously” had legitimate security interests.
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20.12.2024: Scholz after phone call with Trump: killings in Ukraine must end
Brussels (dpa) – After his phone conversation with incoming US President Donald Trump, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed confidence that Europe and the US will continue to pull together in their support for Ukraine. “But of course with the clear expectation that there will be a just peace for Ukraine that will enable it to defend its sovereignty and put an end to the killing,” Scholz added. “It is very clear to me that we must do everything we can to make this possible,” the chancellor said, noting that even with Trump as US president, it would be necessary to coordinate Ukraine’s policy with the US. “My impression is that this will be entirely possible.”
Scholz once again expressed his opposition to the idea of a peacekeeping force in Ukraine in the event of a possible ceasefire. He said the concrete design of a security architecture “can’t really be reasonably discussed at this point”. “But from our perspective it also needs to be structured along transatlantic lines,” he stressed, adding that there had been “no discussion about ground troops or anything like that, because that is not an issue at all”.
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19.12.2024: Baerbock stresses the importance of Syria’s territorial integrity
Berlin (dpa) – After the fall of the Assad regime, Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called on all sections of the population to participate in the renewal process in Syria. To ensure a peaceful transition, the rights of all ethnic and religious communities must be taken into account, Baerbock said in the Bundestag.
She also warned against undermining the Syrian dialogue process from the outside: “If we want peace in the region, Syria’s territorial integrity must not be questioned,” the minister said. “Permanent occupation of the Golan is contrary to international law.” Following the uprising in the neighboring country, Israel’s army invaded the buffer zone to Syria on the Golan Heights and is apparently considering long-term control of the area.
Baerbock also announced that this week she would travel to Turkey, which also shares a border with Syria. The minister praised the role of the Kurds in the fight against the Assad regime, while again stressing the need to involve all sections of the population. “I will make this very, very clear again during my visit to Turkey on Friday.”
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18.12.2024: German delegation meets rebel leader in Syria
Berlin (dpa) – German diplomats have initiated direct contacts with the leader of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus. “The talks focused on the political transition process and our expectations regarding protecting minorities and women’s rights in order to support peaceful development in Syria,” the German foreign ministry said. The German delegation is led by Tobias Tunkel, the Middle East representative of the Federal Foreign Office.
According to the federal foreign ministry, the talks in the Syrian capital also involved the HTS representative in charge of international contacts and the transitional government’s minister of education. There had also been meetings with representatives of civil society and religious communities. The visit also included an “initial inspection of the German embassy building in Damascus”.
Before the negotiations, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs had emphasized that there would be a close investigation of HTS’s actions and the transitional government that the group has installed. “Any cooperation requires that ethnic and religious minorities be protected and that women’s rights be upheld.”
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17.12.2024: Germany: 50 years of strengthening food safety
Berlin (d.de) – As a founding member and major funder of the CGIAR agricultural research network, since the 1970s Germany has contributed to the development of innovative solutions to global challenges such as hunger, poverty and climate change. Germany has been a regular supplier of funds to international agricultural research and the CGIAR network since its establishment 50 years ago in 1974. According to information from the Ministry of Development, new varieties adapted to the climate have been developed. The latest maize varieties contribute $1 billion annually to the economies of the countries in Africa where they are grown. About 36 million farmers use methods that conserve resources to maintain soil fertility and reduce carbon emissions. In the long term, increased yields from sustainable farming methods and new crop varieties are expected to generate value equivalent to US$47 billion annually. According to the Ministry of Development, this would improve food security and living conditions around the world.
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16/12/2024: Steinmeier becomes the first German president to visit Lesotho
Maseru (dpa.d/de) – During his four-day visit to Nigeria and South Africa, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Lesotho at the invitation of King Letsie III (photo). This was the first time a German head of state visited the kingdom. Steinmeier pointed to the high levels of poverty in the country, adding that “Anyone who looks around here can see how important it is for us to take care of this country.” He referred to examples such as giving young people opportunities to enter vocational training. Germany is also contributing to a water management project. Politically, Steinmeier said, Lesotho was closer to Germany on some issues than South Africa. “From the start, Lesotho has condemned Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” he said.
Lesotho is heavily dependent on its large neighbor South Africa, which completely encircles the kingdom. Many people work there, such as in the mining industry. The kingdom is about the same size as the German state of Brandenburg. It has a population of 2.3 million and an unemployment rate of over 30%. Lesotho’s economy is based on agriculture and exports of textiles, diamonds and water.
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13.12.2024: Baerbock demands security guarantees for Ukraine
Berlin (dpa) – Germany and other European countries are insisting on security guarantees should there be negotiations on a ceasefire in Ukraine after US President Donald Trump takes office. “Ukraine needs strict security guarantees. As Europeans, we need robust security guarantees without gaps,” said Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. “This includes long-term military and financial support for Ukraine,” the minister added.
Ahead of discussions by a group of representatives from France, Poland, Italy, Spain and Britain, Baerbock said: “We must not only think big for our common security, but also act big and provide the various instruments that will be necessary for this purpose.
Regarding the situation in Syria after the fall of ruler Bashar al-Assad, Baerbock spoke of a long process towards normalization – “there are still many obstacles along this road”, she said.
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