Merkel, German Chancellor: "Good Meeting with President-Elect Biden... Pleasant Memory"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eun-byeol] German Chancellor Angela Merkel sent congratulations to U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on the 9th (local time), saying, "Germany, as a member of the United States and the European Union (EU), must jointly address the great challenges of our time."

In a statement on the same day, Chancellor Merkel said this and presented joint tasks such as responding to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), global warming, terrorism, and establishing an international free trade order.

She emphasized that cooperating on these issues would be the foundation for prosperity in transatlantic relations. She added, "President-elect Biden has decades of experience in domestic and foreign policy and knows Germany and Europe well," and said, "I have pleasant memories of good meetings and discussions with him."

Chancellor Merkel also said that Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who comes from an immigrant family background, has inspired many people in the United States. In her statement, Merkel did not mention the name of U.S. President Donald Trump even once.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also expressed in a media interview on the same day that he expects President-elect Biden will not focus as much as President Trump did on the issue of European countries' defense cost-sharing. The Trump administration has pressured Germany, claiming that it has not fulfilled the NATO agreement to raise defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product (GDP).

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