United Nations
Baerbock gives speech on transatlantic relations
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) speaks to the United Nations in New York. photo
© Britta Pedersen/dpa
The Ukraine war is forging Europe and North America closer together. In New York, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wants to explain how she sees the future of transatlantic relations.
On the second day of her North American trip, Secretary of State Annalena Baerbock will deliver a keynote speech on transatlantic relations in New York.
At the New School for Social Research, founded in 1933, which in its early years was a place of refuge for scientists fleeing National Socialism and fascism in Europe, she will also discuss with students on Tuesday.
The speech is titled “Seizing the Transatlantic Moment: Our Shared Responsibility in a New World”. Before leaving, Baerbock said she wanted to make it clear that Germany, Europe, the United States and Canada are more closely connected today than at any time since the end of the Cold War. Russia’s “unscrupulous, inhuman actions” offer Europe and North America as a team the opportunity to build an even stronger transatlantic partnership for the 21st century.
Nuclear weapons in focus
Baerbock attended the NPT Review Conference on Monday. The more than 50-year-old agreement is intended to help ensure that nuclear armament does not get out of control. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, North Korea’s nuclear threats and the expansion of Iran’s nuclear program have recently increased fears of a nuclear war. “If you don’t see the danger, I don’t think you’re really looking at the reality in our world,” said Baerbock on “RTL direct”.
The Foreign Minister also met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday – the meeting is likely to have included the extremely tense situation in the crisis-ridden Mali. Germany is providing troops for the UN peacekeeping mission Minusma in the West African country where terrorist attacks have recently intensified and tensions with the country’s military government have also increased.
Together with Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde, Baerbock also attends a meeting of the Stockholm Initiative on Tuesday, which includes 16 countries committed to concrete steps towards nuclear disarmament. However, none of the alleged nine nuclear powers are included.
In the evening Baerbock travels on to Canada. During her inaugural visit to Montreal, she will meet Secretary of State Melanie Joly. Canada is a NATO partner of Germany and belongs to the G7 of leading democratic economic powers. Germany currently chairs this group of states.