Scholz shared these remarks during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who visited Berlin on Monday…reports Asian Lite News
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Germany will continue its commitment to strengthening defence forces in the coming years, including modernising the Bundeswehr with a special fund of 100 billion euros ($108 billion).
Scholz made the remarks at a joint press conference with visiting NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Berlin on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.
Noting that Germany has reached the target of spending 2 per cent of its economic output on defence for the first time this year, Scholz said that “we will continue resolutely down this path.” “All NATO allies must invest more, and I trust that Germany will continue to step up,” Rutte said at the press conference. During the visit, the two sides discussed continued support for Ukraine.
Sunak embarked on a two-day trip to Europe designed to get the spotlight back on Ukraine after months of world attention on Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza…reports Asian Lite News
The leaders of Britain and Germany pledged Wednesday to back Ukraine in its war with Russia for “as long as it takes,” but the German chancellor doubled down on his refusal to deliver long-range Taurus missiles to Kyiv.
Rishi Sunak was on his first trip to the German capital since becoming prime minister 18 months ago, after visiting Poland on Tuesday where he pledged additional money for Kyiv and announced plans to boost UK defense spending.
“We’re united on wanting to support Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Sunak told reporters, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression must “end in failure.”
“We’re defending the values that are incredibly important to us,” the UK leader added, standing alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a press conference at Germany’s chancellery.
Sunak embarked on a two-day trip to Europe designed to get the spotlight back on Ukraine after months of world attention on Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
In Poland, he pledged an additional £500 million ($617 million) for Ukraine, taking the amount of money the UK has contributed to Ukraine’s war effort to £12 billion.
Kyiv has been pleading with allies to ramp up supplies of ammunition and air defenses desperately needed to repel relentless Russian attacks.
US lawmakers eased the pressure last weekend by unblocking a $61-billion military aid package for Kyiv following six months of political wrangling.
But EU defense and foreign ministers insist that Europe must still speed up its deliveries of arms to Ukraine.
Germany has answered Kyiv’s call in recent days by saying it would send an extra Patriot air defense system to Ukraine.
But Scholz again resisted calls to send long-range Taurus missiles, which Ukraine desperately wants but which Germany fears would escalate the conflict.
“My decision is very clear” on not sending the Taurus, said Scholz.
“But my decision is also very clear that we will continue to be the biggest supporter of Ukraine in Europe,” he added.
Sunak hailed “a new chapter” in relations between Britain and Germany as they announced plans for a joint endeavour to develop remote-controlled Howitzer artillery systems that will be fitted to Boxer armored vehicles.
“At this dangerous moment for the world, the UK and Germany are standing side by side to preserve security and prosperity at home and across our continent,” Sunak said before landing in Berlin.
In Warsaw, the UK PM pledged to gradually increase UK defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2030 as NATO countries face pressure to raise defense expenditure in the face of these global threats.
Sunak said that the West was facing its most dangerous period since the end of the Cold War, with Russia’s assault on Ukraine in its third year, but also the threat of escalation in the Middle East.
More of NATO’s European members — including heavyweights France and Germany — have increased their defense spending recently to meet the alliance’s two percent of GDP target.
Sunak refused to say that NATO should increase its target to 2.5 percent but added: “We recognize we need to do more,” adding: “I do believe we are in a world where defense spending is rising.”
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen recently warned that European countries need to boost defense budgets and Brussels is set to come up with further proposals by a summit of EU leaders in June.
It has put forward a 1.5-billion-euro ($1.6-billion) strategy to step up defense production, but officials say this is nowhere near sufficient.
The UK, which quit the European Union in early 2020, is among some 20 countries to have signed up to Germany’s air defense project called the European Sky Shield Initiative.
The project would involve joint procurement for short-, medium- and long-range systems, including the German-made Iris-T, the American Patriot system and the US-Israeli Arrow 3.
France has so far declined to sign up to the pact, with officials there arguing instead for an air defense system using European equipment.
“China remains a really important economic partner,” Scholz told journalists on Friday, adding that he would try to level the playing field for German companies in China…reports Asian Lite News
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in China on Sunday, kicking off a trip in which he faces a tough balancing act as he aims to shore up economic ties with Berlin’s biggest trading partner.
Scholz touched down in the southwestern megacity of Chongqing on Sunday morning, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said, accompanied by a large delegation of ministers and business executives.
As Western allies are cranking up pressure on Beijing, Scholz is expected to underline that Germany remains committed to doing business with the world’s second-largest economy and rejects US-led calls for “decoupling.”
His friendly overtures toward China risk sparking ire among Washington and EU partners, which have been pushing back against Beijing’s heavy subsidies for industries.
“China remains a really important economic partner,” Scholz told journalists on Friday, adding that he would try to level the playing field for German companies in China.
On the geopolitical front, Scholz will also use his visit to persuade Chinese President Xi Jinping to exert his influence to rein in his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and help bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
“Given the close relations between China and Russia, Beijing has the possibility to exert its influence on Russia,” said a German government source in Berlin.
The three-day tour through Chongqing, Shanghai and Beijing is Scholz’s second trip to China since he took office.
His first in November 2022 took place under intense scrutiny, as it came swiftly after Xi strengthened his grip on power, and marked the first post-pandemic visit by a G7 leader to China.
Stung then by painful supply chain disruptions during the health crisis as well as by China’s refusal to distance itself from Russia despite Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Western allies had been scrambling to reduce their reliance on Beijing.
Scholz’s visit comes as many of Germany’s Western allies confront China on a range of trade issues.
A slew of probes into state aid for Chinese solar panels, electric cars and wind turbines are ongoing in Brussels.
The United States is meanwhile investigating national security risks posed by Chinese technology in cars.
With tensions rumbling over Taiwan, US President Joe Biden this week made defense pledges to Japan and the Philippines, while describing behavior by Beijing in the South China Sea as “dangerous and aggressive.”
Two days before his visit, Scholz held talks with France’s President Emmanuel Macron, whose office said the leaders “coordinated to defend a rebalancing of European-Chinese trade relations.”
But China is a vital market for Germany, where many jobs depend directly on demand from the Asian giant.
Both economies also badly need a boost.
The German economy shrank by 0.3 percent last year, battered by inflation, high interest rates and cooling exports, and for this year, the economy ministry expects just an anaemic growth of 0.2 percent.
Beijing has set an annual GDP growth target of around five percent for this year, but exports plunged more than expected last month.
German MPs and analysts urged Scholz to take a firm line.
The Green party’s Deborah Duering warned Scholz against viewing China just as an economic opportunity.
“Those who ignore long-term risks for short-term profits risk repeating the mistakes of the past, misguided Russia policy,” said Duering, in reference to past dependency on Moscow for cheap energy supplies.
Max Zenglein of the Mercator Institute for China Studies said Germany should not hesitate to be more assertive.
“As countries such as the USA and Japan are positioning themselves much more sharply against China, Germany has an important role to play,” he said, adding that Germany was “in a position of strength.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz delivers his first government statement at the Reichstag building in Berlin. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi/IANS)
Immigration was among the key topics as Germany, like elsewhere in Europe, is facing a surge of new arrivals that has revived memories of a major influx in 2015…reports Asian Lite News
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed concern Tuesday about the growing popularity of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) after the party made strong gains in state elections at the weekend.
“We have to be concerned about the votes that went to a right-wing populist party in Germany,” said Scholz, speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in Hamburg.
“There is no doubt at all that political positions are represented there that are not well compatible with the ideas we have of freedom, democracy, the rule of law,” he added.
The anti-immigration AfD gained several percentage points in the key polls on Sunday, coming second in the state of Hesse and third in Bavaria. Scholz’s centre-left-led coalition meanwhile suffered heavy losses.
Immigration was among the key topics as Germany, like elsewhere in Europe, is facing a surge of new arrivals that has revived memories of a major influx in 2015.
Asked whether the government planned to change its migration policies after the far right’s latest gains, Scholz defended the coalition’s approach, saying steps were being taken to deal with surging numbers.
But he also acknowledged the “number of refugees coming to Germany is too high, especially considering that many of them have been in other European countries before, where they were not registered or processed through asylum procedures”.
Macron, on a two-day visit to Germany, said that rising nationalism was due to an “ineffective response to the problems of illegal migration”.
“Strengthened European cooperation” was needed, he added.
EU states last week agreed to the final part of an overhaul for rules on how they handle asylum seekers and irregular migrants, setting up a push to make it law by elections next year.
Once implemented, the new Pact on Migration and Asylum would seek to relieve the pressure on so-called frontline countries such as Italy and Greece by relocating some arrivals to other EU states.
The chancellor posted a picture on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing him wearing a large black patch over his right eye, with red scrape marks visible around the edge…reports Asian Lite News
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday posted a photo of himself wearing an eyepatch after injuring his face while jogging – triggering a flood of pirate jokes online.
Scholz suffered minor injuries after falling while out running on Sunday, forcing him to cancel some appointments that day.
The chancellor posted a picture on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing him wearing a large black patch over his right eye, with red scrape marks visible around the edge.
“Thanks for the well wishes, it looks worse than it is!” he wrote under the picture on his official account.
“Excited to see the memes,” he added. And there were memes aplenty, many comparing him to a buccaneer.
Some showed an eyepatch-wearing cartoon pirate brandishing a cutlass, while others showed a pirate at a ship’s wheel. There were also many messages wishing him a speedy recovery.
Scholz, whose face is also visibly scratched in the photo, will have to wear the eye patch for the next few days and weeks, government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit told a news conference on Monday.
Despite the injury, Scholz – who has been a regular runner for several years – was in good form, Hebestreit said.
Germany is India’s largest trade partner in the European Union and has also been one of India’s largest sources of foreign direct investment…reports Asian Lite News
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the upcoming G20 summit in India remains important despite the absence of Russia and China, in an interview with German radio station Deutschlandfunk.
The G20 still has an important contribution to make and a “big damn obligation” to fulfil, said Scholz, particularly as BRICS – a grouping of the world economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – grows in significance.
Scholz, the leader of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), also said countries with a colonial history had a responsibility to enable development in former colonies.
The chancellor offered to help former colonies exploit and process their natural resources in what he called “fair partnerships.”
Meanwhile, the German government regrets the decision of Chinese President Xi Jinping not to attend a G20 summit.
Speaking at a regular news conference on Monday, a German government spokesperson said that China would nonetheless be represented by a senior delegation and would therefore be “capable of negotiating”.
Close ties
In recent times, India and Germany have been enhancing their relations through various partnerships in the realm of defence cooperation, productive workforce migration, energy security and trade investments amongst other domains. Scholz’s visit to India in March also cemented their mutual will to further cooperate across the political, economic, security and defence realms.
The Chancellor, during his visit, was accompanied by senior officials and a business delegation including CEOs from Siemens and SAP among other major firms as well as heads of the country’s small and medium-sized business associations.
Germany is India’s largest trade partner in the European Union and has also been one of India’s largest sources of foreign direct investment.
The country at present is also looking to renew its engagement with the Global South by beginning to reach out to prominent emerging economies and India was among its first destination in such an endeavour.
More so, Berlin’s outreach is clearly in line with the fact that bilateral trade between the two countries has progressed to a monumental $24.8 billion in FYI-22 alone.
This was also an important discussion point during the meeting held between both leaders, bringing back to focus the importance of enhancing trade and defence ties between the two nations.
Other key areas that were under deliberation during the meetings were German investment in transportation, chemicals, service sector, and automobiles amongst others in India due to the growing opportunities that India poses for the global economy.
Scholz’s visit also comes in the backdrop of Germany’s Foreign Minister’s visit to the country in December of 2022 when the two counterparts signed a mobility partnership pact enabling people to study and work in each other’s country.
Two leaders confirmed that they look forward to meeting in person at the G20 summit in India next month…reports Asian Lite News
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned what they called recent attempts to “undermine democracy, peace and stability” in Niger, a statement from Sunak’s office said on Wednesday.
“The Prime Minister and Chancellor Scholz discussed the concerning situation in Niger,” a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement after a military junta ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and his government.
“The UK and Germany have both condemned the recent attempts to undermine democracy, peace and stability in the country.”
Furthermore, the two leaders confirmed that they look forward to meeting in person at the G20 summit in India next month.
Junta leader rejects international pressure
West African military chiefs are holding a three-day meeting in Nigeria’s capital Abuja to discuss how to respond to a July 26 coup in neighbouring Niger.
The coup has raised fears of a regional conflict and prompted France, the former colonial power, to fly out its citizens.
Ecowas, an alliance of West African countries that is currently led by Nigeria, on Sunday imposed trade and financial sanctions and gave the coup leaders a week to reinstate Niger’s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, or possibly face force.
The self-proclaimed new leader of Niger, Abdourahamane Tiani, on Wednesday rejected the sanctions imposed by the West African regional bloc as illegal, unjust and inhumane.
In a televised address, Tiani said Niger would not bow to regional and international pressure to reinstate Bazoum.
The West African regional bloc on Wednesday said a military intervention in junta-ruled Niger would be “the last resort”.
“The military option is the very last option on the table … but we have to prepare for the eventuality,” said Abdel-Fatau Musah, the Ecowas commissioner for political affairs, peace and security.
An Ecowas delegation is also in Niger to speak directly to the junta leaders.
The delegation is led by former Nigerian president Abdulsalami Abubakar and includes a highly respected Nigerian religious leader, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar.
Nigeria, which has the fourth largest army in Africa, has led the Ecowas response to the coup.
Analysts believe that if mediation attempts fail, a Nigerian-led military intervention is likely. There is little expectation that any western country would be directly involved.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told media on Wednesday that: “We have to work so that democracy prevails in Niger … we need to rule out any western military initiative because it would be perceived as a new colonisation.” Ecowas’s firm response to the coup has been welcomed by western leaders.
“We stand ready to support Ecowas’s upcoming decisions, including the adoption of sanctions,” the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Saturday. Russia on Wednesday called for “urgent national dialogue” in Niger and cautioned that the situation could worsen.
“It’s very important to prevent a further deterioration of the situation in the country,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters. Zakharova said dialogue was needed for the “restoration of civil peace and to ensure law and order”.
But the threat of a military intervention was met by a strong rebuttal from Mali and Burkina Faso, both led by military juntas, who said that it would be equal to a declaration of war against them. Niamey, Bamako and Ouagadougou seem to have been co-ordinating their response to Ecowas, with Gen Salifou Mody, one of the officers who seized power in Niger last week, visiting Mali on Wednesday.
First UK nationals safely out Niger
The first group of British nationals have safely left Niger on a French flight to Paris, the Foreign Office has said. It gave no further details on how many Britons were on the plane but said a “very small number” remain in Niger.
France and Italy had already started evacuating their citizens.
The UK government had previously advised British nationals to register their whereabouts and stay indoors. There were believed to be fewer than 100 British nationals in Niger.
The first to be evacuated were those who had requested to leave Niger and were able to make their way to the airport in time for this flight. A statement from the Foreign Office said: “The UK’s ambassador and a core team remain in Niger to support the very small number of British nationals who are still there. We are grateful to the French for their help in this evacuation.”
German citizens in Niger – who are also thought to number fewer than 100 – have been urged to leave the country aboard planes organised by France, while the Spanish government said it was preparing to evacuate around 70 of its citizens.
Scholz decided to visit the DMZ to witness the division of the Korean Peninsula firsthand, the official added…reports Asian Lite News
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit Seoul on May 21 for a summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday.
Scholz will make the trip after attending a Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on the same day. He will first visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which separates the two Koreas, a senior German official said during a press briefing in Berlin. He will then hold a bilateral meeting with President Yoon and before his return to Germany, he will attend a dinner hosted by President. The German chancellor will be accompanied by his wife, Britta Ernst, the official said.
Seoul’s presidential office noted his visit comes as the two countries celebrate the 140th anniversary of establishing bilateral ties through the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation in November 1883, the Yonhap News Agency report said.
“This visit is expected to serve as a valuable opportunity to enhance economic and security cooperation, and deepen solidarity and collaboration in addressing regional and international issues with Germany, a long-standing friendly country that shares universal values,” Yoon’s office said.
According to the German official, Yoon and Scholz will discuss a wide range of bilateral and international issues during their meeting, including cooperation on energy and climate change, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and Indo-Pacific security policies with a particular focus on China, News Agency Yonhap reported.
Scholz decided to visit the DMZ to witness the division of the Korean Peninsula firsthand, the official added.
As a once-divided country, Germany hopes to share its experience of reunification with South Korea and is interested in learning about Seoul’s efforts to reunify with Pyongyang, the official said.
Scholz will be the first German leader to visit Seoul in 13 years since former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s trip in 2010 to attend a Group of 20 summit, Yonhap reported.
He will also be the first German chancellor to visit Seoul for a bilateral meeting in 30 years since former Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s visit in 1993. (ANI)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets with US President Joe Biden at the White House (Twitter@POTUS)
Maintaining a steady flow of weapons to Kyiv will be critical in the war’s second year, especially with both sides planning spring offensives…reports Asian Lite News
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is visiting the White House on Friday for a private meeting with President Joe Biden as both allies become increasingly vocal about their concerns that China may step off the sidelines and supply weapons to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
Such a step could dramatically change the war’s trajectory by allowing Moscow to replenish its depleted stockpiles.
China is Germany’s top trading partner, and European nations have generally been more cautious than the United States in taking a hard line with Beijing. However, there are signs that may be shifting as global rivalries grow more tense.
In a speech to the German parliament on Thursday, Scholz called on China to use your influence in Moscow to press for the withdrawal of Russian troops, and do not supply weapons to the aggressor Russia.
The US and Germany have worked closely together to supply Ukraine with military and humanitarian assistance. But there has also been friction over issues such as providing tanks, and Washington has occasionally grown frustrated with Berlin’s hesitance.
Maintaining a steady flow of weapons to Kyiv will be critical in the war’s second year, especially with both sides planning spring offensives.
We’re proud of the collective efforts that we’ve taken together,” John Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, said Thursday.
He said the US has not seen any indication that China has made a decision on whether to provide weapons to Russia.
Ukraine war.(photo:Instagram)
Scholz last visited the White House a little more than a year ago, shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine. Very little of Friday’s meeting will be open to the public, and no announcements are expected afterward.
Unlike formal state visits, such as when French President Emmanuel Macron came to Washington last year, there will be no pomp and ceremony. Scholz’s trip will lack the customary press conference where the two leaders take questions from reporters representing both countries.
Kirby described it as a true working visit between these two leaders.”
The meeting will be intimate, according to a senior German official and a US official. Rather than being constantly flanked by advisers, the officials said, Biden and Scholz are likely to be the only people in the room for much of the time. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the confidential nature of the talks.
In an interview with German broadcaster Welt, opposition leader Friedrich Merz accused Scholz of being secretive about his trip to Washington, which will take place without the customary press pack in tow. Merz suggested that Scholz had to smooth ruffled feathers over the deal to provide tanks to Ukraine. Scholz dismissed any notion of discord between allies.
Scholz said he and Biden want to talk directly with each other,” and he described a global situation where things have become very difficult.” It is important that such close friends can talk about all of these questions together, continually, he said.
Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, hinted at some tension between the two countries on Sunday when appearing on ABC’s This Week.
He said Biden originally decided against sending Abrams tanks to Ukraine, believing they wouldn’t be immediately useful for Ukrainian forces. However, Sullivan said, Germany would not send its Leopard tanks until the president also agreed to send Abrams.
So, in the interest of alliance unity and to insure that Ukraine got what it wanted, despite the fact that the Abrams aren’t the tool they need, the president said, ‘OK, I’m going to be the leader of the free world,’ Sullivan said. ‘I will send Abrams down the road if you send Leopards now.’ Those Leopards are getting sent now.
Scholz’s government has denied there was any such demand made of the US.
Max Bergmann, a former State Department official who leads the Europe Programme at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the US has often wanted Germany, the world’s fifth-largest economy, to be more forceful on the global stage.
There’s a hope that, instead of us having to push all the time, that Germany would take a leadership role,” he said.
Bergmann said Germany has gone a long way toward strengthening its defence, but added that there’s more work to do.
The German way of seeing the world doesn’t always align with the US way of seeing the world, he said.
Scholz witnessed “India’s modern face” at Bengaluru and met with young Indians on their way to Germany…reports Asian Lite News
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has interacted with “inspiring talents” of SAP India, German ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann stated in a tweet. Scholz witnessed “India’s modern face” at Bengaluru and met with young Indians on their way to Germany.
Philipp Ackermann tweeted, “Bangalore showed India’s modern face to @Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz & us! We changed batteries for scooters @Sun Mobility & met inspiring talents @SAPIndia. Chancellor also talked to young Indians on their way to Germany & visited Royal Challengers – end of a successful visit!”
Olaf Scholz was on an official visit to India from February 25-26. He was accompanied by senior officials and a high-powered business delegation.
Meanwhile, IPL Cricket team Royal Challengers Banglore on Sunday tweeted, “We had the extreme honour and privilege of hosting the Hon’ble Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany at Namma Chinnaswamy Stadium. His Excellency called on RCB’s WPL camp today.”
On Saturday, the German Chancellor called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. President Murmu noted that Germany is India’s largest trade partner in Europe and also among the top investors in India. She said that Germany is also India’s second-largest development cooperation partner and has played an important role in India’s developmental journey.
“Welcoming Chancellor Scholz on his first visit to India as German Chancellor, the President said that India and Germany have a long-standing relationship, which is underpinned by our common values and shared goals. Our bilateral relationship encompasses a wide range of areas, reflecting the mutual trust that has been nurtured over decades,” the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a statement.
President Murmu said that India and Germany also have strong cultural connections, with a long tradition of German Indologists working in India. She stated that India and Germany had shared aims in upholding democratic values, the rules-based international order, multilateralism, and the reform of multilateral institutions.
During his visit, Olaf Scholz said that India has undertaken an enormous rise and stressed that it is “very good” for the ties between the two nations. Speaking at a joint press meet along with PM Narendra Modi, Scholz noted that the development of IT and software is booming in India.
🇮🇳🇩🇪 | A Partnership for Trade, Investment and Digital Transformation
“India has undertaken an enormous rise much has happened and that is also good for the relations between both our countries. The world is suffering because of the consequences of Russia’s aggression. Ensuring food and energy supplies right now,” Olaf Scholz said.
In his remarks after meeting PM Modi, Scholz said, “We need talent, we need skilled workers. The development of IT & software is booming in India and many capable companies are here in India. India has so much talent and we want to benefit from that corporation. We want to recruit & attract that talent in Germany.” (ANI)
