WORLD
FOREIGN MINISTER OF GERMANY VISITING US
According to the information provided by the German mass media, Federal Minister of the Foreign Affairs of Germany Mr. Joschka Fischer is paying a 4-day visit to the US. In the frame of his visit, Y. Fischer will negotiated with his American colleague Colin Powell, Vice-President Dick Cheney and other officials. As is known, proposal of the US Defense Minister Donald Ramsfeld on involving the Armed Forces of Germany and France to the peacemaking mission in Iraq was not supported by these states. First, France and then Germany refused to participate in the peacemaking mission in Iraq. In the interview given to mass media on the eve of Minister Fischer’s visit, Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder stated that participation of Germany in peacemaking missions is possible only on the UN mandate and on the invitation of the new government of Iraq. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany left for the US to clarify this issue, which created ‘coolness’ in the relations between official Washington and Berlin. Political situation in the Middle East, combat against international terrorism and issues of international security are expected to be in the focus of negotiations.