Embassy of Germany in Washington, D.C.

For diplomats, summer is usually the time to say goodbye - to colleagues, to friends, to a city that in many cases has become home for the last 3-4 years. But it's also a time for new beginnings - so today, we say goodbye to our colleague and wish him all the best in his new job, which will take him back to Berlin, but where he will continue to work on the unique transatlantic partnership!

Germany is ramping up the clean hydrogen market. 🌍🔋 As part of its National Hydrogen Strategy, the German government is investing €4.6 billion euros in 23 hydrogen projects, which will establish green hydrogen as a cornerstone of the German economy. Yesterday, the German Federal Cabinet adopted the import strategy for hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives, which complements the National Hydrogen Strategy. More than half of Germany’s hydrogen demand will need to be covered by imports in the medium to long term. The import strategy sends a clear signal to our partners abroad, among others in the US: Germany expects a large and stable domestic demand for hydrogen and its derivatives and provides a reliable offtake market for hydrogen, creating investment security for hydrogen production in partner countries. Prioritizing the use of climate-friendly hydrogen is an important component of Germany’s way to becoming a climate-neutral industrialized nation by 2045. #GreenHydrogen

Do you want to work in the social media team at the German Embassy? Do you speak German, have an interest in German-American affairs and love content creation? Then this job may just be a perfect fit. Apply by August 1st to join an amazing team: https://ow.ly/qzw650SJyf4

Smack in the middle of the security zone of the RNC24 is the old building of the Milwaukee Turnverein founded in 1853. A premier example of Milwaukee’s strong German heritage. And it is the location of the CNN | POLITICO Grill where Embassy of Germany in Washington, D.C. Ambassador Michaelis joined three of his NATO counterparts from Washington DC for an important discussion about NATO.

Last night, Ambassador Michaelis hosted a reception at his residence to honor this year's Burns Fellows. The ARTHUR F. BURNS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM is a long-running program by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) that sends journalists from Germany, the United States, and Canada to work at media outlets in each other's countries, producing stories for audiences in their host country and at home. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the prestigious Arthur F. Burns Prize, awarded to one German and one North American journalist each year. This year's North American winner was Allison Meakem for her thought-provoking article "A Tale of Two Germanies" on the East-West conflict in Germany, published in Foreign Policy. On the German side, the award went to Josef Wirnshofer for his article "Und tot bist du" on the war in Gaza and the evolving discourse in Germany about its culture of remembrance, published in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Congratulations to Allison Meakem and Josef Wirnshofer for their outstanding contributions to transatlantic relations! And best of luck to this year's Burns Fellows as they embark on this incredible journey! 🌎✍️

Today, Germany’s mainstream political parties pledged to better protect the Federal Constitutional Court from political influence by extremist movements. It’s “a good day for constitutional order and democratic culture in our country,” said Justice Minister Marco Buschmann, adding that the court "has proven to be a bulwark of liberal democracy“. The parties agreed on specific proposals for amendments to Germany’s Grundgesetz (Basic Law) to strengthen the constitutional protection of the court.

Over 10,000 people are in Munich, Germany, this week for the International AIDS Conference, the world’s largest scientific meeting on #HIV. Germany is a leader in research and initiatives to combat AIDS as the 3rd EU country to join the Global Partnership for HIV Stigma & Discrimination and one of the largest donors to The Global Fund, contributing €1.3 billion to fight AIDS this cycle. Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized the importance of this work in his speech at the conference: "Programs supported by Global Fund have saved 59 million lives. 59 million. This number speaks for itself.” #AIDS2024.

It's been more than a year since Germany adopted its first Feminist Foreign Policy. That means women as key players in finding peace agreements, tackling climate change, and protecting human rights. Tomorrow, we will join @asilorg to discuss the theory and practice of Germany’s Feminist Foreign Policy, and how it differs from a from traditional foreign policy. 📅 Date: Wednesday, July 24, 2024 🕚 Time: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM ET Register here to attend via Zoom: https://lnkd.in/gyZKPwgP.

Last week, Ambassador Michaelis spoke on the #NATO ambassador panel at CNN-Politico GRILL at the Republican National Committee in Milwaukee. During the discussion, he underlined the importance of keeping US forces in Europe, "as a deterrence, it's very important that they remain where they are." He made clear that if Germany wants a US troop presence in Europe, we also have to commit ourselves. Germany’s recent decision to permanently station a brigade on NATO’s Eastern flank in Lithuania is an important signal of this commitment.  In addition to these measures, Germany also decided to invest more heavily in our armed forces. We turned to the US to bolster our defense industrial base in Europe, acquiring US-built H-47 Chinooks and F-35s. Altogether, we’ve signed contracts at the value of $23 billion over a short period.  And there is more — it’s evident that we need to restructure and integrate across the Atlantic. Our defense industries have to come together for our collective security. This means developing equipment jointly and providing production facilities that give us resilience at this critical time.

We have a new job opening at the German Embassy! 📣 Are you passionate about social media? Do you know a thing or two about transatlantic relations? Können Sie Deutsch? We're looking for a full-time Social Media Officer 📲 And if you answered "yes" to these questions, you might be a great fit! If you are interested, see the job posting below for more information. Apply by August 1st.