Ambassador Gebauer: Message on German Unity Day is one of hope and courage

The message of the German Unity Day and the revolutions that led to the liberation of Europe 35 years ago is also a message of hope and courage, the German ambassador in Bucharest, Peer Gebauer, said on Thursday, on the occasion of the celebration of the national day of his country.He recalls, in a statement sent by the diplomatic mission, that almost 35 years ago the Berlin Wall fell, and the Iron Curtain, which separated the peoples from the middle of Europe, opened.Many of us still remember the joy and confidence we felt then, because Europe could now live in peace, freedom and democracy. Today, the atmosphere is different. Putin's brutal war of aggression against Ukraine threatens not only the freedom of this country. He is thought to divide Europe again. Our countries and societies also face numerous other challenges, says the German ambassador. Romania and Germany do not have to face the challenges of the present alone. Our strength lies in unity. As trusted partners and allies within the EU and NATO, we will continue to develop together our common homeland, Europe, we will protect and defend the common ally territory and we will support Ukraine in the future as long as necessary. Germany, as the second biggest supporter of Ukraine, and Romania have been offering substantial aid - military, economic and humanitarian - for a long time, said Peer Gebauer.Our economic relations have never been closer. There have never been more cultural and social ties between our peoples, as we could see during the outstanding performance of the Romanian national football team at EURO 2024. And never has the dialogue at the political level been more intense and important than now, pointed out the ambassador.Germany is aware of the fact that "you can count on Romania", said Peer Gebauer, and renewed the message of support for Romania's full accession to the Schengen Area.   Ties between Romania and Germany are today at a record high in the last 35 years, as evidenced by the value of bilateral trade of over EUR 43 billion euros in 2023, according to Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.Ciolacu on Thursday attended the German Unity Day, an event organised by the Embassy of Germany in Bucharest. He said that, today, the international community is at another turning point, which "only the political will of our societies and their leaders can turn into a historic opportunity.""Today, our challenges are even greater: through the brutal aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the scourge of war has reappeared in Europe. We are witnessing a dramatic deterioration in the security situation in the Middle East. We are facing challenges at the internal level, at European level, of unprecedented magnitude, whether we are talking about terrorism, radicalisation, disinformation, extremism, anti-Semitism, climate change or the shockwaves that security instability projects on our economies. (...) At such times we must remain firmly committed to promoting and protecting European values, in full solidarity and cooperation. That is why it is important to have as soon as possible, at the level of the European Union, a functional and stable institutional framework that will meet the expectations of our citizens."The prime minister highlighted the idea of continuing cooperation at EU and international level to support Ukraine and Moldova on their European journey. In another development, Ciolacu highlighted the excellent relationships between Romania and Germany, as evidenced by the value of bilateral trade in excess of EUR 43 billion in 2023."This is primarily due to the two communities: the Romanians living in Germany and the German minority in Romania. Secondly, to entrepreneurs who have created solid economic ties. Germany is Romania's first foreign trading partner, with a value of bilateral trade of over EUR 43 billion in 2023."He voiced his conviction that by strengthening bilateral ties, the presence of German investors on the Romanian markets can be increased, in important sectors for the Romanian economy: infrastructure, defence, digital transformation, cyber-security, healthcare, energy, research and innovation, and startups."We also want to continue the excellent cooperation in the field of education, especially sharing German expertise in dual education."Ciolacu reiterated the common commitment to a stronger and more united European Union, in the spirit of European values and principles, saying that Romania continues to count on Germany for the completion of its Schengen accession process. (Photo:https://gov.ro/)