News from Berlin
German and Dutch Foreign Ministers Open Thirtieth Bilateral Forum
June 19th, 2014
News from Berlin – On 16 June, German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier met his Dutch counterpart, Frans Timmermans, in The Hague at the occasion of the thirtieth German-Netherlands Forum. The focus of the discussion was on Europe, the situation in Ukraine and the recent developments in Iraq.
In a joint press conference, the German minister underscored the importance to establish the priorities for the incoming EU commission. Both agreed that the future commission should focus on boosting growth and employment, as well as improving the Eurozone monetary union.
In relation to the situation in Ukraine, Steinmeier expressed his concern over the escalation of violence between both camps. He advised each side to measure their words and actions carefully in order to prevent the conflict to spiral into an EU wide crisis. In addition, he called the Ukrainian and Russian officials to continue striving to reach a comprise on the question of gas supply.
The theme of thirtieth German-Netherlands Forum is “The (un)limited impact of technology in Germany and the Netherlands”. In a series of lectures and seminars, experts from both countries will discuss the social and political implications of the increase usage of digital technologies in our daily lives.
Both countries boast of excellent relations and partake in several bilateral summits.
News from Berlin – Berlin Global