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Berlin (dpa) - The transatlantic coordinator of the federal government, Peter Beyer, has shown himself satisfied with the clear commitment of the new US President Joe Biden to a close partnership with Europe.
"He has shown the West a powerful perspective for the coming decades after the uncertainty of the Trump years," said the CDU politician of the German Press Agency.
"We now have to fill this offer with life and concrete politics."
In a speech at the virtual Munich security conference on Friday, Biden described the partnership with Europe as the “cornerstone” of American foreign policy and clearly committed to NATO: “America is back.
The transatlantic alliance is back. "
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Beyer said Beijing and Moscow must not have enjoyed this expression of new Western unity, and that was a good thing.
Now the West has to go one step further: "We have to develop transatlantic strategies for dealing with system rivals China and Russia."
However, Beyer missed the subject of trade in Biden's speech.
“The period of punitive tariffs must come to an end,” he said.
Instead, the close allies EU and USA should negotiate a free trade agreement.
«I expect that the speed will be really set here soon.
Only together as a transatlantic partner can we master the challenges of the 21st century. "
The former Federal Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) also rated Biden's speech positively.
"What an optimistic, friendly and committed invitation to us Germans and Europeans to shape the future together," said Gabriel to the news portal t-online.
"Now it is up to us to accept this invitation."
Gabriel sees many areas in which more cooperation is needed: “In climate protection, in the fight against the pandemic, in the reform of international organizations, in disarmament and fair trade relations, but also in the defense of democracy, in the fight against terror and against the advance of authoritarian forces Regime."
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The Green MP Jürgen Tritten told t-online that Biden's speech showed how the US wanted to return to international politics - “with realpolitik and cooperation”.
Transatlantic relations played a major role in this.
“Europe is no longer“ worse than China ”as it was with Trump.
That's good news."
Left-wing politician Gregor Gysi also saw parts of Biden's speech positively.
"It is to be welcomed that Joe Biden wants to solve global problems such as climate change or the fight against the corona pandemic in international cooperation," Gysi told the news portal.
FDP foreign politician Alexander Graf Lambsdorff described Biden's speech as "strong" because it was both forward-looking and thought-provoking.
"The fact that he was the first incumbent President of the United States to ever take part in a Munich security conference was a powerful sign of the cohesion of the West," he told t-online.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210220-99-517647 / 2
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Munich Security Conference
UK Government G7 side