Trade, security likely to top US-German agenda, CDU's Hardt tells DW

DW (English)

Germany and the US will find a way to move forward when it comes to trade and foreign security, Jürgen Hardt, the foreign policy spokesperson for Germany's opposition CDU/CSU alliance, tells DW in Washington.

Transcript

00:00I'm here with the foreign affairs spokesperson, Mr. Hart, in front of the Capitol.

00:04Mr. Hart, how are you feeling?

00:06I feel well.

00:08My colleague Thomas Silberhorn and me, we decided to represent the CDU-CDU group in the Deutsche Bundestag

00:13today on that important day for America.

00:16We had excellent seats, expected to have excellent seats on the west side of the Capitol,

00:22but unfortunately the decision of the new president was to do it inside.

00:27Therefore, we go on an invitation of the Republican Party from New York to look at the TV.

00:35But the speech will be analyzed even if we are not present in the Capitol.

00:41I'm very much looking forward to what President Trump will announce in his first hours of his new presidency.

00:49So, what do you expect him to do when it comes to Germany?

00:53Some of his administration are very critical with our country.

00:58What do you expect him to do?

01:00I think we have to build up a new relation between Germany and the new president of the United States

01:06and, by the way, also the new majority in both houses of the Congress.

01:10I think the field of trade issues and the field of foreign security policy

01:15will be the most important topics on our agenda to talk about with the US government.

01:22Therefore, we are here to have contact to the new presidential guys in the new government,

01:28to keep the contacts to the senators and congressmen and women,

01:32to be sure that we can do it on a rational basis,

01:35that we can find a win-win situation or solutions for Germany and the European Union on one side

01:42and the US on the other side.

01:43And I hope that the US is deciding to continue its help for Ukraine.

01:48This is something very important, not only for Europe and Germany, but also for the US.

01:53And I hope that we will find a way to manage the questions between us in trade issues.

02:00There was a leak from the sitting ambassador here in the United States,

02:03the German ambassador to the United States,

02:06who was very, very critical with the Trump administration and kind of warned the chancellor.

02:12I hear you being a little bit more open-minded.

02:16I'm open-minded on that.

02:17It doesn't help in any way to blame the new president before he's in office,

02:21before he gave his speech, before he took decisions.

02:24And I also would like to state as a politician from the acting opposition in the Deutsche Bundestag

02:32that Germany is not ready for world politics

02:35if we are not able to make a secure communication between our embassies in other countries

02:40and the foreign office in Germany and Berlin.

02:44This needs to be investigated why there was a leak of that message.

02:50And if the German ambassador has his opinion, it's his right to put it to the foreign minister.

02:58I'm not agreeing with that.

03:00I think we have not only the president to judge on, but also the whole administration,

03:05the majority, the senators in the Foreign Affairs Committee, for example.

03:10And we will find a way to handle the new situation between us, between America and Germany.

03:17And to blame us in one and the other direction is not the best way to start this new approach.

03:24Thank you very much and enjoy the day.

03:26Thank you very much. Bye-bye.

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