The Federal President is currently visiting many Eastern partners – and has to explain himself. Doubts have arisen: Can one rely on Germany? Steinmeier wants to give a clear answer to that.
Riga, Vilnius, Warsaw, Kosice – and now Bucharest. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is continuing his series of visits to NATO’s eastern flank this Wednesday.
He wants to meet President Klaus Iohannis in the Romanian capital. As with all previous trips, the talks will focus on the Russian war of aggression in the Ukraine and its consequences for Europe. Steinmeier wanted to reassure Romania that Germany is a loyal ally, according to the Office of the Federal President.
The Federal President had been to Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia in the past few weeks. He had emphasized everywhere that Germany stood by its alliance obligations in NATO. Actually a matter of course – but because of the hesitancy of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in supporting Ukraine with weapons, doubts had also arisen among the eastern partners about Germany’s reliability.
“Democracies are strong and resilient”
During a one-day visit to Slovakia last week, Steinmeier demonstratively warned the Kremlin and his host Vladimir Putin not to underestimate NATO’s will and ability to defend itself. “Our democracies are strong and well-fortified,” he said after talks with Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova in the city of Kosice. “They are ready and able to defend every inch of Alliance territory – together.”
This is also the message for Romania, which shares a 600-kilometer direct border with Ukraine to the north and south. About the same distance separates it from Ukraine, which fears it could be one of the next victims of Russian aggression only by the tiny Republic of Moldova.
In Bucharest, the Federal President can demonstrate that Germany is not only showing solidarity verbally, but also in a very practical way. Until the end of March, the Air Force participated in airspace surveillance within the NATO framework, known as “air policing”, with Eurofighter combat aircraft in Romania.
Visit previously postponed due to Corona
In Bucharest, Steinmeier also wants to say thank you for taking in refugees from neighboring Ukraine. He will talk to people involved in refugee work and visit a school. There are eight special classes in which Ukrainian teachers teach children who have fled their homeland according to Ukrainian curricula. A talk with representatives of the German minority is also planned.
The visit to Romania had already been planned several times, but was repeatedly postponed due to the corona pandemic. It was originally intended as a three-day state visit. The fact that he has now shrunk to a one-day working visit also has to do with the war in Ukraine. Both presidents agreed that the certain pomp associated with a state visit, such as the obligatory state banquet, was not appropriate at the time, according to Bellevue Palace. The state visit should be made up for at a later date.
The bilateral relations between Germany and Romania are described as excellent in Berlin. This also applies to the personal relationships between the two presidents, who are in constant contact.
Source: Stern
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