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| Europe |
| German Foreign Minister to visit US next week |
| 2003-07-12 |
| Not really WoT, but geopolitically interesting. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer will head to the United States next week for high-level talks with Bush administration officials, the Foreign Ministry said. The announcement follows persistent reports that he is being sent to arrange a face-to-face meeting between President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. "Pretty please?" Fischer’s five-day visit to New York and Washington next Monday through Friday will include talks with Vice President Richard Cheney, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of State Colin Powell, the ministry said. Following nearly a year of estrangement over Iraq, Schroeder is said to be eager to be seen in public with Bush and to resolve lingering enmity towards Berlin, various German media have reported. However, a government spokesman said: "As long as things have not been agreed one should not talk about them." Translated: "Let’s not miss a good opportunity to keep quiet!" It will be Fischer’s first visit to the United States since he chaired the UN Security Council during votes on the Iraq crisis earlier this year. And that visit went so very well. If Bush is unwilling to invite Schroeder to the White House, Berlin hopes he might be willing to confer with the German leader in New York when the UN General Assembly reconvenes in the autumn, a report in Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung paper said. A report in Der Spiegel news magazine, meanwhile, quotes sources in Brussels and Berlin as saying Bush continues to harbour ill will towards Germany for its opposition to the US-led war against Iraq. Schroeder, who has put forth Fischer’s name as a "sound choice" to become EU foreign minister, is said to be concerned by "a broad front of pro-US forces" in the EU who oppose Fischer. While Fischer himself has consistently denied any EU ambitions, it has been widely reported in Germany that he is keen to cap his career with the post of EU foreign minister — which has yet to be created under the new EU draft constitution. Just look modestly down at the floor and remember to blush, Joschka. |
| Posted by:seafarious |
| #5 Top candidate for a West German name to appear on that Stasi list we sent over a week ago. |
| Posted by: Chuck 2003-7-12 10:53:25 PM |
| #4 "when I was young and irresponsible, I was young and irresponsible." I suppose you know who said that. If the WAPO choses to bring up allegations against Fischer which have mostly been proven wrong or overblown, well... Germans will refrain from digging up white dirt from the 70s... |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2003-7-12 3:04:47 PM |
| #3 Hope GW takes him to Texas and gets a photo op with Marshal Fischer in a ten gallon hat and BBQ sauce all over his smil'n face. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2003-7-12 12:22:39 PM |
| #2 Time to cut Fischer for bait. |
| Posted by: Hodadenon 2003-7-12 12:06:18 PM |
| #1 Mr. Fischer, who are you? Ah, I see. This Zeropean (Hat Tip: Merde in France) shill and whiny asshat is not welcome in my country. Which makes him perfect to "cap" his career at the German/Zeropean public trough. |
| Posted by: PD 2003-7-12 2:56:41 AM |