Steinmeier Meets Hillary Clinton

Germany’s Foreign Minister will meet his American counterpart for the first time today. The goal is a “new transatlantic agenda”

Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier flew to Washington on Monday evening for a brief visit. The SPD candidate for Chancellor is the first German cabinet member to be received at the White House since Obama became President.

The main reason for Steinmeier’s visit will be to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It’s unknown at this point whether he will also meet with President Barack Obama.

According to Germany’s Foreign Office, Steinmeier and Clinton will discuss the global economic crisis, energy policy and the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. The planned closure of the Guantanamo detention facility and the possibility that Germany might accept some of the displaced prisoners may also come up. In recent weeks, Steinmeier has made it clear he hopes that regime change in the White House may lead to closer relations between Europe and the United States.

“Now is the time to formulate a new trans-Atlantic agenda we can use to confront future problems,” Steinmeier said before his departure.

In diplomatic circles, that means Steinmeier is hoping there will be improved chances for new disarmament agreements and a relaxation of U.S. – Russian relations. Because of the war in the Caucasus and U.S. plans to set up a missile defense system in eastern Europe, relations between the two powers had significantly dimmed.

Secretary Clinton’s office confirmed that she would also be meeting with her British counterpart, David Miliband.