History of German-American Relations > 2001- Germans in America | The German Language in the United States | German-American Relations

What kind of information materials are available?

Background • American Institute for Contemporary German Studies Johns Hopkins University • Amerika Dienst (U.S. Mission Germany) L • Background Note on Germany (U.S. Department of State) • Country Commercial Guide 2008 (U.S. Commercial Service) • Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2007 Germany (U.S. Department of State) CD L • Deutsch-amerikanische Beziehungen (bpb) • Europe-Eurasia Issues (America.gov) • German Embassy in Washington, DC • The Federal Foreign Office - Coordinator of German American Cooperation • Library of Congress Country Study: Germany • Transatlantic Relations (German Federal Foreign Office) • U.S. Mission to Germany • U.S. State Department, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Statistics • U.S. Trade Balance with Federal Republic of Germany (U.S. Census Bureau) Original Documents •  Major Speeches and Documents CD • Visits of U.S. Presidents to Germany 1945-2008 • Gemeinsam gegen den Terror Institutions and Organizations • Alliierten Museum • American Chamber of Commerce in Germany • American Academy • American Council on Germany (ACG) • American Institute for Contemporary German Studies • Aspen Institute • Atlantik-Brücke • Checkpoint Charlie Stiftung • Fulbright Commission • German American Institutes (Deutsch-Amerikanische Institute) • German Historical Institute • German Marshall Fund • Mauermuseum • New Traditions Network • Partnerschaft der Parlamente e.V. • RIAS Berlin Kommission • Sister Cities • Steuben-Schurz-Gesellschaft INFOALERT highlights recent reports from leading U.S. journals and policy sources: Transatlantic Relations   President Barack Obama and Chancellor Angela Merkel meet for bilateral talks in Baden-Baden, April 3, 2009 (© AP Photo) The United States and Germany have built a solid foundation of bilateral cooperation in a relationship that has changed significantly over five decades. The historic unification of Germany and the role the United States played in that process have served to strengthen ties between the two countries. German-American political, economic, and security relationships continue to be based on close consultation and coordination at the most senior levels. High-level visits take place frequently, and the United States and Germany cooperate actively in international forums. U.S. policy toward Germany remains the preservation and consolidation of a close and vital relationship with Germany, not only as friends and trading partners, but also as allies sharing common institutions. During the 45 years in which Germany was divided, the U.S. role in Berlin and the large American military presence in West Germany served as symbols of the U.S. commitment to the preservation of peace and security in Europe. Since German unification, the U.S. commitment to these goals has not changed. Nearly 59,000 U.S. military personnel remain in Germany to protect these common interests. As allies in NATO, the United States and Germany work side by side to maintain peace and freedom. Over 200, 000 people gathered in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on September 14 to remember the victims of Tuesday’s terrorist attacks in the United States. (AP/WideWorld Photos) Following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., the United States and Germany have cooperated closely to combat international terrorism, for example in the areas of judicial cooperation, intelligence sharing and freezing the financial assets of suspected terrorists. This cooperation has shown tangible results and will continue. Germany participated in Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S. military operation launched in early October 2001 against the Taliban regime and against Al Qaeda strongholds in Afghanistan. Germany did not support the U.S. military operation in Iraq in March-April 2003. Chancellor Angela Merkel took office in November 2005 promising a foreign policy anchored in a revitalized transatlantic partnership. Recognizing the importance of the German-American economic relationship, during Germany’s six-month presidency of the European Union in 2007, Chancellor Merkel initiated the Transatlantic Economic Initiative to reduce and remove these barriers. Over the long term, the deep and mutually beneficial trade and investment relations between U.S. and German firms remain vital for both domestic and global economic growth. There are numerous opportunities for bilateral cooperation in the economic and commercial sphere, including multilateral trade negotiations, reducing agricultural protectionism and promoting economic global growth. German-American economic as well as political partnership has contributed to making reunification a success. Since reunification, U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) in Germany has more than tripled while German investment in the U.S. is roughly seven times what is was when the Wall fell. After France, the United States is Germany's largest export market. The United States also is Germany's third largest supplier, and its principal trading partner outside the EU. Today, there are more than 3,000 German companies in the United States, with almost 670,000 employees; over 2,700 American companies in Germany provide 800,000 jobs. At least 1.5 million jobs and approximately 6,000 companies in both countries depend on our relationship.  The Merkel government has also sought to increase transatlantic cooperation in a range of other areas, including: climate change policy, global counterterrorism and non-proliferation policy, and peacekeeping, reconstruction and stabilization in Afghanistan, the Middle East, Africa, and the Balkans. Source: Background Note on Germany. June 2009. U.S. Department of State See also: About the USA > German-Americans About the USA > History of the United States > The 21st Century About the USA > U.S. Government

Texts are abridged from U.S. State Department IIP publications and other U.S. government materials.

What kind of information materials are available? CD: These documents are available in fulltext format on the About the USA CD-ROM. Teachers: Request a copy for classroom use. L: Selected documents are available in German as well as other languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, Persian and Turkish.

DISCLAIMER Any reference obtained from this server to a specific commercial product, process, or service does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the United States Government of the product, process, or service, or its producer or provider. The views and opinions expressed in any referenced document do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government.

U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Germany /Public Affairs/ Information Resource Centers  Updated: August 2009