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Working together to ensure strong international law – Foreign Minister Wadephul to visit The Hague, Bratislava and Strasbourg
Building of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague © ANP
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is travelling to The Hague, Bratislava and Strasbourg, where he will discuss strengthening international institutions, jointly guaranteeing European security and defending human rights.
Germany and its European and international partners are working together to ensure reliable rules and strong institutions. Foreign Minister Wadephul will first travel to the Netherlands, where he will visit the International Criminal Court. He will then discuss European security in Bratislava and human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Strasbourg.
Prior to his departure, Foreign Minister Wadephul said:
International rules are only as strong as our commitment to enforcing them. Particularly in a day and age when international institutions are increasingly being called into question, we must clearly endorse these rules, together with our partners across the globe.
Visit to the International Criminal Court in The Hague
During his first official visit to The Hague, Foreign Minister Wadephul will call on his Dutch counterpart, Tom Berendsen. Germany and the Netherlands share the conviction that dependable rules are an advantage for all stakeholders – whether it be when engaging in business and trade or safeguarding fundamental international norms.
The two Foreign Ministers will visit the International Criminal Court (ICC) together. The ICC fights impunity for the most serious crimes affecting the international community. Germany is the world’s second-largest financial contributor to the ICC and works with its partners to ensure that the Court remains capable of acting, even when under pressure.
Germany is mindful of its own history and knows what the outcome can be when state power overrides the rule of law and humanity. Therefore, for Germany, support for the ICC is not only a foreign policy issue. It is a part of our historical responsibility.
Foreign Minister Wadephul
Focus in Bratislava on European security
The focus of Foreign Minister Wadephul’s visit to Bratislava will be on European security and cooperation in the EU and NATO. Germany and Slovakia are partners in both organisations. In view of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the talks will focus on further strengthening European defensive capabilities together and on continuing support for Ukraine. The European Union cannot afford for action to be blocked by individual countries.
In Europe, we must be able to rely on collective action – especially when our security is threatened.
Foreign Minister Wadephul
Visit to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg
Foreign Minister Wadephul will then travel to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, where he will call on the Parliamentary Assembly, among other calls.
The European Convention on Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union are central achievements in protecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. In view of authoritarian and anti-democratic trends, Germany supports strengthening the Council of Europe as a pan-European voice for these values.