February, 2004 - Nr. 2
Ambassador: U.S.-German ties "indispensable"
TWIG - Germans and Americans both have a vital stake in the close economic ties that stretch across the Atlantic, Wolfgang Ischinger, German Ambassador to the United States, said in a keynote speech at the New Year’s meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany.
"Whether trade, investment, the fight against terrorism or ensuring stability in the Middle East — positive and close cooperation between the United States and Germany is indispensable," Ischinger (photo) told some 100 business leaders and policymakers gathered in Mannheim for the meeting.
Ischinger called the direct investment flows between the two nations, which continued to rise sharply in 2003, a cornerstone for U.S.-German relations.
He said that political ties across the Atlantic remained equally strong.
"The upcoming visit of the German Chancellor to the United States, with stops in Washington, Chicago and Mississippi, signals a rebound in U.S.-German relations," said Ischinger.
Germany has the highest concentration of U.S. investment among industrialized countries. More than 2,000 American firms have invested some 110bn Eur in Germany, creating 800,000 jobs.
Republished with permission from "The Week in Germany"
