This forum facilitates a regular and close exchange on current political issues of German-U.S. cooperation as well as common international tasks.

Led by State Secretary Andreas Michaelis and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale, senior officials from the State Department and the Federal Foreign Office discussed approaches for joint action. Their discussions over the course of four hours focused on a strategic approach to Russia and China.

Current issues and new perspectives

There was also a need for discussion in view of the crises in the Middle East. The importance of coordinating diplomatic efforts and agendas was demonstrated in talks on Iran, Syria, Yemen, Libya and Afghanistan.

Another key focus of the talks was the transatlantic relationship and the outlook for cooperation between Europe and the U.S. In view of the ongoing discussions in the EU on the UK’s withdrawal from the Union, the delegations discussed the consequences of this for the transatlantic relationship.

The U.S.-Germany Strategic Dialogue at Villa Borsig was the second meeting in this format. The Dialogue was held for the first time in Washington, DC in March 2019. Its declared aim is to jointly discuss issues of strategic importance as well as current issues on the transatlantic Agenda.