It is above all in times like this that we need a direct line to Washington. There is a lot to discuss – the situation in Syria, the nuclear deal with Iran, our relations with Russia and the future of German American relations. Even if we don’t see eye to eye on all political issues at the moment, there is one thing that is in my opinion clear: the German-American friendship is non-negotiable. The United States of America remains the Europeans’ most important ally.

For this reason we want not only to rebalance our political partnership, we also want to invest in the friendship between the American and German people. It will be my pleasure to launch the Deutschlandjahr USA on the Day of German Unity. Our partnership is only as strong as the people who breathe life into it every day. It should now be clear that we cannot assume our friendship is assured – and so we seek to actively promote it.