Welcome
German Unity Day 2021
Happy German Unity Day on 3rd of October 2021 from the German Embassy in Wellington, © German Embassy Wellington
The reunification of our country 31 years ago ended decades of separation and meant freedom and democracy for the citizens of the former GDR. Unified Germany shoulders its responsibilities in Europe and the world at large. In doing so, we rely on multilateral solutions, both in Europe and worldwide. In order to solve today’s pressing problems, unity, solidarity and a willingness to compromise are essential.
The courage and desire for freedom of thousands of people in East Germany and Eastern Europe drove them to tear down walls and barbed wire peacefully around 30 years ago. The reunification of Germany that followed was made possible by the trust and cooperation of our neighbours and allies. History has taught us that good things can be achieved when Europe acts as one. We regard this as a mandate to promote concerted action by the European states. This is the only way to meet current challenges. Counteracting the Corona pandemic and its repercussions is a prime example, and the EU's joint reconstruction fund provides clear evidence of European cohesion.
German reunification 31 years ago would not have been possible without international cooperation. We are convinced that crises, conflicts and challenges can only be met together. For that reason we founded the Alliance for Multilateralism with our Partners. The reunification of Germany was achieved through successful cooperation with our international partners. This is why we are convinced today that current challenges such as climate change can only be tackled together. Germany supports the consistent implementation of the Paris climate targets agreed by the global community. We are also making our contribution towards achieving climate neutrality in the EU by 2050.
The German reunification was only made possible because of the solidarity of our neighbours and partners and we are still grateful for this today. We regard this as a mandate to urge the global community to show equal solidarity amid the current crises. Mitigating the Corona pandemic is a good example. Among other things, Germany supports the Covax platform, which provides vaccines for developing countries. We also donate vaccine doses from our own stock to countries that have been particularly affected by the health crisis.
When Germany was reunified, our neighbours and partners placed a great deal of trust in us. We regard this trust as a mandate to shoulder international responsibility alongside our partners and to stand up for shared values. Reunited Germany is committed to peace and security worldwide within the framework of the UN, the EU, NATO, the OECD and other organizations. At the heart of this are our efforts to find political solutions to conflicts such as those in the Ukraine or Libya.
