On the occasion of the Day of German Unity Ambassador Dr Christian Hellbach hosted a reception with guests from politics, business, culture, society and diplomacy.
In his speech, Ambassador Hellbach emphasised that Germany owed its reunification also to the long struggle of the democratic movements in Central and Eastern Europe, namely Poland, the former Czechoslovakia and Hungary, which contributed to German unity and enabled the beginning of a new phase of European integration.
“After the fall of the Berlin Wall, which symbolised democratic change and the overthrow of communist regimes throughout Eastern Europe, the reunification of Germany meant freedom and democracy for the 17 million inhabitants of the former GDR. It was the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a new phase of European integration. For Germany, this meant not only territorial unity but also the regaining of full sovereignty” stressed Ambassador Hellbach.
He cherished the excellent state of bilateral relations reminding, at the same time, of the necessity of never resting but, instead, striving to fill this relationship with new substance focusing on the economy, climate protection, green energy production and migration policies.
As partners in the European Union, “we must work to strengthen it, to make it more resilient and more capable to act. At the same time, we must press ahead with EU enlargement; we cannot afford any political grey areas in Europe,” continued Ambassador Hellbach, recalling that the EU, together with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, is the guarantor of European sovereignty.
“The times we live in call for important and sometimes difficult decisions. But at the same time, opportunities are opening up that we could only have dreamt of until recently. I am glad that Germany and Croatia are on this path together. And let it stay that way, so that also our children can enjoy democracy, peace and freedom”, concluded Ambassador Hellbach.
Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman, representing the Croatian government, addressed the event and wished everyone a Happy German Unity Day, recalling the closeness of the two countries and the importance of excellent mutual relations since Croatia’s independence to the present day.