Angela Merkel said she looks forward to working with Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. (File)
Berlin:
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday congratulated US President-elect Joe Biden on his election and called on the European Union and the United States to work “side by side”, but also recognized that the EU must do more to take care for its own safety.
Merkel introduced Biden as a seasoned leader who knows Germany and Europe well, stressing: “We are allies in NATO, we share core values … and interests.”
Eager to shift from President Donald Trump’s critical perspective on Germany, Merkel said the US and Germany, as members of the EU, must work “side by side” to fight coronavirus, global warming and terrorism and to defend free trade.
Trump had previously called Germany a “captive of Russia” for supporting a Baltic Sea gas pipeline deal with Russia, threatening German automakers with high tariffs on cars imported into the United States, and criticizing Berlin for not having contributed enough to NATO.
“We Germans and Europeans know that we need to take more responsibility in this partnership in the 21st century,” said Merkel.
“America is and remains our most important ally. But it expects us, and rightly so, that we do more to take care of our security and defend our convictions in the world,” he said. she adds.
Merkel also said that Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is an inspiration to many and looks forward to working with Harris and Biden.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
