Germany's Merkel Says No Contact Made With Biden After His Inauguration

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published January 21, 2021 | 06:50 PM

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2021) German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that she was not contacted by new US President Joe Biden after his inauguration.

Biden was sworn in and took office as the US president On Wednesday. According to Berlin, Merkel had phone talks with Biden at least once after the US presidential election in November after the media projected his victory.

"I already made contact [with Biden] before the inauguration, we had no contacts yesterday," Merkel said at a press conference, answering the respective question.

Commenting on her expectations for cooperation with the new US leader, Merkel said that they had more political platforms of mutual interest, based on executive orders that Biden signed right after taking office. In particular, the countries can now work within the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement.

According to the chancellor, the countries' cooperation is not about having common views but about finding ways "to do better for both countries.

"Biden represents the United States, I represent the interests of Germany. Many countries have repeatedly correctly emphasized that Europe should take on more responsibility, this applies not only to the military sphere but also to the diplomatic sphere and others. The good news is that we in Germany are ready for this, Europe is also ready for this. Cooperation is based on a broader foundation of shared beliefs," Merkel added.

In November, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas expressed hope that the relations between the US and Germany would improve following the election of a new president in the United States. According to the White House, Biden is expected to focus on the COVID-19 response, the climate, racial justice, the economy, health care, immigration and the restoration of the US' positions in the world. The first changes came immediately upon Biden taking office, as he reversed some key policies of former President Donald Trump.