Share this story!            

Fischer leaves for US for talks on Iraq, Afghanistan

BERLIN: German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer embarked Monday on a fence-mending trip to the United States, where requests for a larger European role in stabilizing Iraq and Afghanistan will top the agenda.

Fischer’s mission is aimed at restoring Germany’s traditionally close ties with Washington, badly damaged over Berlin’s vocal opposition to the war on Iraq, and discussing what role the already strapped German forces might play in bolstering security in the two devastated countries. “Foreign policy cooperation between the United States and Germany is at the heart of this visit — that means Afghanistan and Iraq,” a foreign ministry spokeswoman told AFP..

“Both sides have a major interest in exchanging views on these current issues.” US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said last week he would welcome NATO partners’ support in the reconstruction of Iraq, including the involvement of Germany and France. Although both fervently opposed the war on Iraq, neither has fully ruled out accepting such a request. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said Friday he had told Washington that Germany would be unable to participate due to its troops’ obligations in Afghanistan, the Balkans and the Horn of Africa. But he seemed to leave the possibility of participation open by saying that he would only be able to deploy German troops under a firm United Nations mandate or following a request from the provisional Iraqi government. Discussions on Afghanistan, where Germany and the Netherlands currently command the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), should be more conclusive. —AFP

Home | Foreign

Share this story!