Germany

EU Backs Two-State Solution To Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Rejects Annexation: German Minister

AMMAN, June 11 (NNN-PETRA) – German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, said on Wednesday that, the EU supports the two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and rejects any annexation plans.

Maas made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, in Jordan’s capital, Amman.

“We are worried about the repercussions of the (Israeli) annexation decision,” he said, adding, the priority is “to bring the two sides to the negotiating table.”

German exports down nearly a quarter in April as virus hits

Berlin, Jun 9 (AP) German exports plunged by nearly a quarter in April compared with the previous month as coronavirus shutdowns dragged down demand, official data showed Tuesday.

The figures from the Federal Statistical Office followed data showing big drops in factory orders and industrial production in Europe's biggest economy in April, underlining expectations of a sharp economic contraction in the second quarter.

US accuses Russian DJ of laundering more than $1 million over 10 years

TASS, June 8: Russian DJ Denis Kaznacheev arrested in Berlin for cyber fraud on the request of the United States seeking his extradition is accused of money laundering more than $1 million in the Darknet between 2010 and 2020, a source close to the case materials told TASS.

"According to the US law enforcement, Russian citizen Kaznacheev, using the Darknet and being a member of the Russian cyber mafia, laundered more than $1 million with his accomplices between 2010 and 2020," the source noted.

Germany has no confirmation of U.S. troop withdrawal, values them

BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government said on Monday it had not had official confirmation from Washington of any decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw thousands of troops from Germany, but stressed that their presence serves all NATO members.

Trump has ordered the U.S. military to remove 9,500 troops from Germany, a senior U.S. official said on Friday. The move would reduce the U.S. contingent to 25,000.

“I don’t want to speculate on something for which I have no confirmation,” Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told a news conference.

German cabinet speeds up stimulus package

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition is speeding up the implementation of its giant stimulus package with a special cabinet meeting on Friday, a government spokesman said on Monday in light of devastating economic data.

Confirming an earlier Reuters report, government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters that the cabinet hoped to pass large parts of the 130 billion-euro ($147 billion) package during an extraordinary meeting on Friday.

Germany: Protests support Floyd, Black Lives Matter on 4 continents

BERLIN (AP) — Tens of thousands of people gathered Saturday in cities far from the United States to express anger over the death of George Floyd, a sign that the Black Lives Matter movement against police brutality is resonating with wider calls to address racism from Australia to Europe.

In Berlin, where police said 15,000 people rallied on the German capital’s Alexander Square, protesters chanted Floyd’s name and held up placards with slogans such as “Stop police brutality” and “I can’t breath.”

Germany, EU should mull response to US measures on Nord Stream 2, says Bundestag official

BERLIN, June 5. /TASS/: Germany and the EU should consider response to US plans to expand sanctions against Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Klaus Ernst, head of the Bundestag Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy, told TASS.

"If this does not stop, then we will need to consider serious protective measures. For example, penalties for natural gas from the United States are possible," he said.

According to Ernst, US actions represent "interference in the sovereignty of Germany and the EU."

Germany’s Heiko Maas says has evidence of Russian involvement in cyberattack on Bundestag

BERLIN, June 4. /TASS/: German Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas claimed that the investigators are in possession of proof that a Russian national, in cooperation with other people, had conducted a hacker attack on the Bundestag in the interests of the Russian intelligence. He claimed this in an interview for Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper, published by the German Federal Foreign Office Thursday.

Germany finally splurges, but not without fresh criticism

BERLIN (Reuters) - Under pressure from its European peers for years to spend more, Germany has finally served up a bumper stimulus package financed with new debt, but Berlin’s rediscovered love to splurge is causing fresh unease among its neighbours.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition presented stimulus measures worth 130 billion euros ($146 billion) late on Wednesday to speed up the recovery of Europe’s largest economy from the coronavirus pandemic.

Germany: Doubt if now is right time to change G7 format

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Wednesday he was not sure whether now was the right time to shake up the format of the Group of Seven after U.S. President Donald Trump said it was a “very outdated group of countries” in its current format.

“I have doubts about whether it makes sense to create another intermediate format,” Maas told reporters, adding that it remained to be seen whether it was the right time for such a move.

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