The newly inaugurated French President François Hollande headed to Berlin for talks on his first day in office. He agreed with Chancellor Angela Merkel: French-German cooperation remains vital for Europe's future.
Ambassador Georg Boomgaarden and the Chief Executive of International Business and Diplomatic Exchange (IBDE), Mr Rudi Guraziu, hosted the panel discussion ‘The Sovereign Debt Crisis and its Impact on World Markets’ focusing on the sovereign debt crisis and the present political situation in Europe on 11 May 2012 at the German Embassy London.
German economic activity has returned to its growth curve after a slight dip at the end of 2011. In the first quarter of 2012, gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.5%, according to provisional data by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
The pillars of Europe´s response to crisis are debt reduction and growth, Chancellor Merkel said in the Bundestag yesterday, ahead of the G8 Summit in the United States later this month.
"These days, when Europe is facing so many challenges, we should increasingly focus on what holds Europe together or what should hold Europe together," Foreign Minister Westerwelle said in Brussels on Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle met Martin Schulz, the President of the European Parliament, on 8 May during the latter’s first official visit to Berlin.
9 May is Europe Day, a symbol of the European Union along with the flag, the anthem, the motto and the single currency (the euro), which identifies the political entity of the European Union. Europe Day is the occasion for activities and festivities that bring Europe closer to its citizens and peoples of the Union closer to one another.
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle spoke to the Security Council on 4 May about combating terrorism and safeguarding human rights. He also discussed the situation in Syria with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.