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Thank you, Mr. Ambassador.
It's good to see Angela and Emmanuel again.
We have just spent part of the morning together - from a Washington perspective.
But I would like to welcome everyone here and thank the Munich Conference for hosting this special session.
I have been attending the Munich Security Conference for decades - already in my time as a US Senator when I joined my colleagues in both political camps to reaffirm the importance of the transatlantic partnership - and three times as Vice President of the United States;
the first international foreign policy speech by the Obama Biden administration took place here.
The last time I spoke in Munich two years ago, I was here as a private person, not as an elected representative.
At that time I said: “We will come back.” And I am a man who keeps his word.
America is back.
We are at a turning point
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Today I address you as President of the United States, early on in my term, and I have a clear message to the world: America is back.
The transatlantic alliance is back.
And we don't look back;
we look forward together.
At the end of the day, it boils down to this: the transatlantic alliance is a strong foundation on which our common security and prosperity are based.
The partnership between Europe and the United States is and will remain, in my view, the cornerstone of everything we want to achieve in the 21st century;
just like we did in the 20th century.
Today we face different challenges.
We are at a turning point.
Since I spoke to you as Senator and Vice President, the global dynamic has changed.
New crises require our attention.
We cannot focus only on the competition between countries that threatens to divide the world, or only on the global challenges that threaten to destroy us all if we do not work together.
We must do both, working in unison with our allies and partners.
"It is no longer called America first, but the world first"
In addition to Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, US President Joe Biden also spoke at the Munich Security Conference.
How the content of his speech is to be assessed, as well as WELT correspondent Steffen Schwarzkopf from Washington.
Source: WELT / Steffen Schwarzkopf
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So let me remove any remaining doubts: the United States will work closely with partners in the European Union and with capitals across the continent, from Rome to Riga, to tackle the multitude of common challenges we face.
We continue to advocate a united, free and peaceful Europe.
The United States is fully committed to the NATO alliance, and I applaud Europe's increased investment in military resources to ensure our common defense.
We adhere to Article 5. This is a guarantee.
An attack on one is an attack on all.
That is our unwavering promise.
The only time Article 5 was used was after the attack on the United States on September 11th.
You, our allies, have joined us in the fight against al-Qaida, and the United States has committed itself to consult closely with NATO allies and partners on how to proceed in Afghanistan.
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My government strongly supports the ongoing diplomatic process that will end this war after 20 years.
We continue to work to ensure that Afghanistan can never again become a base for terrorist attacks against the United States, our partners and our interests.
Our European partners also stood by our side in the fight against IS.
Just this week, the NATO defense ministers decided on a significantly expanded training and advisory mission in Iraq, which will be decisive for the ongoing fight against IS.
We cannot allow IS to regroup and threaten people in the Middle East, Europe, the United States and elsewhere.
While the United States is doing a thorough review of its own military disposition around the world, I have stopped withdrawing American troops from Germany.
I have also lifted the limit imposed by the previous administration on the number of US forces that can be stationed in Germany.
I know that the past few years have strained and put our transatlantic relations to the test.
But the United States is determined to reconnect with Europe, to come to terms with you, and to regain our position as a trusted leader.
I attended the first meeting of the G7 heads of state and government today, where I spoke about the urgent need to coordinate multilateral measures to deal with Covid-19, the global economic crisis, the accelerating climate crisis and many other topics.
Achieving these goals will depend on a key strategic condition.
It reads: America must return to America's enduring strengths so that we can face today's problems from a strong position.
That means we need to rebuild and improve our economic foundations;
that we must regain our place in international institutions;
that we must uphold our values at home and be ready to defend them around the world;
that we need to modernize our military resources while showing foreign policy leadership;
that we need to revive America's network of alliances and partnerships that made the world safer for all people.
Our partnerships are not for profit
I hope other democracies will join us in these vital endeavors.
Our partnerships endure and have grown over the years because they are rooted in the abundance of our shared democratic values.
You are not on business.
You are not for profit.
They are based on a vision of the future in which every voice counts, in which the rights of all are protected and in which the rule of law is upheld.
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Neither of us has managed to fully realize this vision.
But we are continuously working towards it.
And in many places, including Europe and the United States, democratic progress is under attack.
I have known many of you for a very long time and you know that I always speak my mind openly.
So let me be honest: we are in the middle of a fundamental debate about the future and the direction of our world.
We are at a crossroads.
On the one hand, there are those who claim that with all of the current issues - from the fourth industrial revolution to a global pandemic - an autocracy is the best way forward.
On the other hand are those who understand that democracy is essential to face the challenges.
Historians will one day describe this moment as a turning point.
And I believe - with every fiber of my being - that democracy will and must prevail.
We have to show that democracies can still be there for people in this changing world.
In my opinion, this is our most important task.
"Germany is ready for a new chapter in the transatlantic partnership"
At the Munich Security Conference, Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks next to US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Merkel emphasized the importance of fighting the pandemic worldwide.
Source: BR24
Democracy does not come about by chance.
We have to defend it, fight for it, strengthen it, renew it.
We need to prove that our model is not a relic of history - it is the best way to revive the promise of a better future.
And if we work confidently with our democratic partners, then I know that we will master every challenge and outperform every challenger.
We must prepare together for long-term strategic competition with China.
How the United States, Europe, and Asia cooperate to secure peace, defend shared values, and build prosperity in the Pacific - that is a challenge, the consequences of which have far-reaching consequences.
The competition with China is getting tough.
I expect that and I welcome that, because I believe in the global system that Europe and the United States, together with our allies in the Indo-Pacific region, have so laboriously built over the past 70 years.
We can win the race for the future for ourselves.
But to do this, we need to be clear about the investments and partnerships that will be required.
We need to protect the space for innovation, intellectual property and creativity that arises from the free exchange of ideas in open, democratic societies.
We need to ensure that the benefits of growth are shared widely and evenly, not just to a few.
We must defend ourselves against the economic incursions and pressure from the Chinese government that are undermining the very foundations of the international economic system.
Everyone - really everyone - must play by the same rules.
US and European companies are required to disclose their corporate governance structures and to abide by rules in order to prevent corruption and monopoly practices.
Chinese companies should have to adhere to the same standards.
We have to shape the rules for technological progress and norms of behavior in cyberspace, for artificial intelligence and biotechnology in such a way that they are used to support people - not to suppress them.
We must stand up for the democratic values that enable us to do all of this and defend ourselves against those who want to monopolize and normalize oppression.
During the video conference: Macron listens to Biden's speech
Source: REUTERS
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This is how we will be able to counter the threat from Russia.
The Kremlin is attacking our democracies and using corruption as a weapon to undermine our systems of government.
The Russian leadership wants people to see our system as more corrupt or as corrupt as theirs.
But the world knows that's not true.
Including Russia's own citizens.
Putin is trying to weaken the European project and our NATO alliance.
He wants to undermine transatlantic unity and our determination because it is easier for the Kremlin to intimidate and threaten individual states than to negotiate with a strong and united transatlantic community.
Therefore, advocacy for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity remains a major concern for Europe and the United States.
And that's why dealing with Russian ruthlessness and hacking of computer networks in the United States, Europe and the world is critical to protecting our collective security.
The problems with Russia may be different from those with China, but they are just as real.
Two billion dollars for Covax
It's not about playing the East against the West.
It's not about looking for conflict.
We want a future in which all nations are able to choose their own path freely, without the threat of violence or coercion.
We cannot and must not go back to the knee-jerk opposition and blocs of the Cold War.
Competition must not exclude cooperation on issues that affect us all.
For example, we must all work together if we are to defeat Covid-19 everywhere.
My first memorandum on national security was about stepping up health and humanitarian efforts to defeat Covid-19, prevent the next pandemic, and better prepare.
The United States will invest $ 2 billion in Covax - with the promise of an additional $ 2 billion to encourage others to do the same.
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But as we struggle to free ourselves from the grip of this pandemic, the recurrence of Ebola in Africa is a clear reminder that we must work at the same time to finally finance health security, strengthen global health systems and create early warning systems, to prevent, identify and respond to future biological threats - because they will keep coming back.
We must work together to strengthen and reform the World Health Organization.
We need a UN system that focuses on biological threats and can take action quickly.
In the same way, we can no longer delay combating climate change or do only what is absolutely necessary.
It is a global existential crisis and we will all suffer from it - we will all bear the consequences if we fail.
We must swiftly move forward with our commitments to aggressively reduce our emissions and hold each other accountable in order to achieve our goals and increase our efforts.
That is why, as President, I immediately rejoined the Paris Agreement.
As of today, the United States is officially once again a party to the agreement that we helped draft.
On Earth Day, I will host a summit of leaders to kickstart more ambitious action among the biggest polluters, including domestic climate action in the United States.
I am grateful for Europe's continued leadership on climate issues over the past four years.
Together, we must invest in technological innovations that will generate clean energy for our future and enable us to develop clean energy solutions for global markets.
The nuclear threat continues to require careful diplomacy and cooperation.
We need transparency and communication in order to minimize the risk of strategic misunderstandings or errors.
That is why the United States and Russia, regardless of other conflicts, have extended the New Start Agreement for another five years.
And that is why we also said that we are ready to re-enter into negotiations with the P5 + 1 on the Iranian nuclear program.
We also need to address Iran's destabilizing activities across the Middle East, and we will work closely with our European and other partners on this.
We will also work together to secure fissile and radiological material to prevent terrorist groups from obtaining or using it.
The range of challenges that Europe and the United States face together is vast and complex.
I am excited to hear from my good friends and outstanding leaders such as Chancellor Merkel what they think about the common path forward.
"Mars had a situation similar to Earth in its past"
After a seven-month journey through space, the Mars rover “Perseverance” landed on the red planet.
There he should investigate whether there ever was life on our neighboring planet.
Source: WELT / Christoph Hipp
Let me conclude with the following conclusion: We must not allow self-doubt to impair our ability to engage with one another or with the wider world.
The past four years have been tough.
But Europe and the United States must lead again with self-confidence - with confidence in our abilities, with the will for our own renewal, with confidence in each other and in the ability of Europe and the United States to face every challenge in order to secure our future together.
I know we can do it.
We did it before.
Only yesterday, after a seven-month, 300-million-mile journey, NASA's “Perseverance” rover landed successfully on Mars.
He is on a fact-finding mission - with components contributed by our European partners - to seek evidence of the possibility of life beyond our planet and to uncover the mysteries of the universe.
In the next few years "Perseverance" will move around the Red Planet, collecting samples and amassing them so that another mission and a rover, which are planned as a joint effort by NASA and the European Space Agency, can retrieve this treasure trove of scientific wonders bring us all home
That's what we can achieve together.
If our ability to get to Mars and back doesn't show us anything else - at least it shows us that we can meet any challenge here on earth.
We have everything we need.
And I want you to know that America will do its part.
We will be by your side.
We will fight for our common values.
We will face the challenges at this turning point in history.
America is back.
Let us work together and show our great-great-grandchildren, when they read about us one day, that democracy works and that there is nothing that we cannot create together.
Let's go to work.
Thank you all very much.
Thank you friends.
Translated by Jessica Wagener
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