The new Federal Foreign Minister took the train for some of the appointments on her first day in office.
(Photo: imago images / photothek)
Brussels, Paris A crucial mission of Annalena Baerbock will be to found a climate club with the USA and some other countries that are serious about climate protection. She has therefore insisted that responsibility for climate diplomacy be transferred from the Ministry of the Environment to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
And even on her first trip, she had the opportunity to meet the most important interlocutor on this matter, the Handelsblatt learned: John Kerry, once US Secretary of State and now climate envoy for Joe Biden’s government, happened to come to Brussels at the same time as Baerbock, where he also met with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday.
The aim of the climate club is to prevent trade between the EU and the USA from suffering when the Europeans make climate-damaging imports more expensive. The French government intends to push ahead with a corresponding project, the CO2 border adjustment, in the coming six months when it holds the EU presidency.
The border adjustment is a levy on imports of CO2-intensive goods. Its aim is to prevent industries from moving out of the EU if the prices for CO2 emissions rise within the EU.
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Baerbock also spoke about this with the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, whom she met in Paris before her appointments in Brussels. Then Baerbock emphasized the similarities with the French in this project.
Critical words, but if possible no political differences
The idea of a climate club is to exempt certain states from the border tax if a similarly ambitious climate policy is being pursued in these countries. For this to work, the Europeans would have to come to an agreement with the USA and then jointly involve China.
First of all, however, the Russian aggression against Ukraine is more pressing. Baerbock said in Paris that she was ready to be personally and deeply involved in this matter.
Baerbock’s journey by train also led to Brussels.
(Photo: imago images / photothek)
There is also pressure to diplomatically boycott the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2022. Baerbock and Le Drian want to coordinate this with other European countries. In this context, Baerbock also spoke about tennis player Peng Shuai, who had reported sexual assault by a Chinese politician on the Internet. Now there is a suspicion that this is why she is being held by the authorities.
“If a woman raises such allegations, then it has to be heard in an international context,” said the Foreign Minister.
The Green politician tried to skilfully avoid political differences. Regarding the Franco-German dispute over the inclusion of nuclear power as sustainable energy in the new EU investment rules, she only said that the so-called taxonomy was being discussed “at all levels”. “It is well known that we have different positions on the nuclear issue.”
Continuation of the trusting Franco-German relationship
The French Foreign Minister Le Drian and also the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borell, expressed their pleasure at Baerbock’s early visit. Le Drian wants to continue the trusting relationship “with Annalena” that he had with her predecessor Heiko Maas (SPD).
The relationship between the two foreign ministers is “a bit of the treasure trove of the Franco-German relationship in the service of Europe”.
In keeping with tradition, Baerbock’s first trip as Federal Foreign Minister also took him to France.
(Photo: dpa)
Baerbock pointed out that she would spend more time with the two politicians in the coming days than with Olaf Scholz or Robert Habeck. After a detour to Warsaw, Baerbock is expected in Liverpool for the G7 foreign ministers ‘meeting, and on Monday for the EU foreign ministers’ meeting again in Brussels.
While appearing in front of an unadorned backdrop in Brussels, she spoke in Paris in the magnificent press room of the Foreign Ministry. “What could be nicer for a Foreign Minister than to be in the new office in Paris on the first morning,” she said in front of the gold-decorated walls and thanked “Jean-Yves” for the friendly welcome. “Germany has no closer friend than France,” she said.
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