After a warm welcome to the guests, the Foreign Minister briefly referred to the numerous international crises and conflicts that have emerged in 2014 and which have resulted in human suffering and a number of refugees coming to Germany. Addressing the volunteers, he expressed his gratitude and thanked all those who “work to improve refugees’ destinies in a very direct and concrete manner”, on behalf of Aydan Özoguz and the German Government. He argued that in an era with so many refugees, both domestic and foreign policy responses are necessary: “In terms of foreign policy, that means we must use the full range of our diplomatic toolbox with courage and without a blinkered attitude in order to make a contribution, however small, to de-escalating conflicts and thus to tackling the root causes of flight”.

Mr. Steinmeier underlined that support is particularly important for the case of Syria, as well as for Syria’s neighborhood countries, such as Lebanon or Jordan in terms of the waves of refugees, and referred to the international conference he hosted for this purpose two months ago, in an effort to mobilize international support. For the implementation of a foreign and development policy response, the German government is currently working with the United Nations.

He then went on to comment on “false recipes” about the domestic policy and argued that Germany is an open country: “We benefit economically from being connected to the world, but much more, we benefit on a human, cultural and societal level.  And so we know that putting up fences will resolve neither our own problems nor the misery in our world”.

The German Foreign Minister ended his speech by emphasizing again the volunteer’s commitment and thanking the audience for attending.

• For more information: http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Startseite_node.html

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