US President Joe Biden receives Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) on February 7 for his inaugural visit to the White House.
Washington/Berlin – US President Joe Biden receives Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) on February 7 for his inaugural visit to the White House. “Chancellor Scholz’s visit provides an opportunity to reaffirm the deep and enduring ties between the United States and Germany,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Thursday. Biden and Scholz would discuss their commitment to a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict and “joint efforts to prevent further Russian aggression against Ukraine.” The meetings will also focus on working together on other issues, including the coronavirus pandemic and climate change.
Psaki had already announced on Monday that Scholz was expected in Washington next month, but had not yet announced a specific date. Germany called her “one of our closest allies” in this context. The German-Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in particular has caused tension in bilateral relations in recent years. The US government opposes the project. In the Ukraine conflict, the Biden government regularly emphasizes the unity of its western allies towards Russia. Germany’s refusal to supply weapons to Ukraine for its defense was noted in the United States.
Scholz was sworn in as the new Federal Chancellor on December 8 and has since made inaugural visits to Paris, Brussels, Warsaw, Rome and Madrid. As Germany’s closest ally outside the European Union, the USA is traditionally one of the first travel destinations for a new chancellor. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) was received on January 5 for an inaugural visit to her counterpart Antony Blinken in Washington. (dpa)
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