German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz said today, Friday, that Germany will continue to count on the United States “for a long time to come”, in a speech during an event for entrepreneurs hours after his return from his first visit to Washington, where he had talks with President Donald Trump.
“Whether we like it or not, we will continue to count on the United States, for America, for a long time,” Mertz said at a Berlin business conference.
He also stressed that he has no doubt at all that Trump will keep the United States within NATO (NATO).
The German counselor called for a different approach to the American president, and said, “Let’s stop talking about Donald Trump with humiliation and booing. He must be talked to him, not about him.”
Mertz said that the US government is open to the discussion, eavesdropping, and is ready to accept other opinions, and said: “You can talk to them, but you should not make yourselves vulnerable to intimidation … I have no tendency anyway.”
Mirtz explained that, for example, he adopted a different position on Trump on Ukraine in the Oval Office, and said: “There was no dispute, but we discussed the matter again in detail at lunch.”
On the other hand, Mertz said that he will work to reach an agreement that allows the import of American cars to Europe without customs duties, in exchange for exempting a similar number of European cars exporting to the United States from the same fees.
He explained that he would try to reach a “compensation base or something like this,” noting that it was agreed to appoint representatives from the White House and the German Chancellor to start extensive talks on commercial relations between the two countries.
He also stressed that commercial negotiations with the United States remain the powers of the European Union, noting that he will continue later with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Line, to inform her of the results of his talks with Trump.
These statements come in the wake of reports that major German companies such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen are holds talks with Washington on a possible agreement on customs duties on car imports.
In the same context, CEO of Mercedes-Benz said first, Calinius, in an interview with “Der Spiegel” magazine on Thursday, that such a mechanism may constitute a precedent that can be applied in other industrial sectors.
On Thursday, the US President praised Germany’s increase in defensive spending, while receiving Mertz at the White House of Oval Office.
“I know that you are currently spending more money on the defense,” Trump told the German advisor. This is good. “
