Not only are Germany and Luxembourg founding members of and partners in the European Union, they are also NATO partners and have long been dedicated to promoting prosperity and peace in Europe and beyond. “Our two states are linked by a close and trusting partnership,” said Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz during the inaugural visit of Luxembourg’s new Prime Minister Luc Frieden at the Chancellery in Berlin.  

Luc Frieden was born in Esch an der Alzette in 1963. As Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the 60-year-old has led his country’s government since 17 November 2023.

Scholz described the bilateral relations between Germany and Luxembourg as excellent, adding that this applied in particular to cross-border collaboration between Luxembourg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. “We will intensify this cooperation further,” the Federal Chancellor announced.

Ukraine: unwavering support

During their talks at the Chancellery, Scholz and Frieden discussed a wide range of topics. In the area of international policy, they focussed on Ukraine. The country had been heroically defending itself against Russia’s merciless attacks for almost two years now, Scholz said.

Massive air attacks on Ukrainian cities continued even over Christmas. The Chancellor stressed that these showed that Russia's President Putin was fiercely determined not to let up on his assault on Ukraine in violation of international law. “This is why we will also continue our support for Ukraine with unwavering intensity,” he said.

Germany is Ukraine’s strongest supporter after the USA

Scholz said that Germany was meanwhile Ukraine’s strongest supporter after the USA: “For this year alone we have arranged for weapons and military material worth more than seven billion euros to be delivered to Ukraine.”

Germany was a leading supporter in the critical area of air defence, said Scholz, mentioning the Gepard, Patriot, Iris-T and the Skynex systems. This support was supplemented by humanitarian and financial aid worth billions, as well as political support for Ukraine, he explained.

Appealing to all partners to increase their contributions

“Important as our contribution from Germany may be, it will not suffice to ensure long-term security for Ukraine,” Federal Chancellor Scholz said.  “This is why I am calling on our allies in the European Union to also intensify their efforts to support Ukraine,” he went on, pointing out that the arms deliveries for Ukraine planned by the majority of EU member states were not enough.

Scholz called for a detailed summary of the specific contributions each European partner will be making to support Ukraine this year to be presented in time for the European Council meeting on 1 February at the very latest. “Europe must demonstrate that we are standing closely by Ukraine’s side and are committed to international law, and European values. We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as necessary,” Federal Chancellor Scholz stressed.

Gaza: protecting the civilian population

Scholz also mentioned the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East, saying that Israel was forced to exercise its right to defend itself within the framework of humanitarian international law.

The Federal Chancellor pointed out that the humanitarian supply situation in Palestinian areas was precarious, and that warnings issued by international aid organisations had to be acknowledged. “The Israeli government must do all it can to ensure that the civilian population in Gaza is protected more effectively in this conflict, and that access for humanitarian aid is improved considerably,” Scholz demanded.

Hamas leaders must surrender

The war could end immediately, Scholz explained, listing the requirements for this: Hamas had to end its anti-human activities, the two million inhabitants of Gaza had to be released from their captivity, and the leaders had to surrender.

Scholz appealed to Iran to refrain from fuelling the conflict further. The Hezbollah missile strikes and the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea posed “a severe threat to international safety,” he said.

Europe needs reforms to allow for expansiong

In the area of European policy, the Federal Chancellor referred to the resolution to take up accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, as well as to grant Georgia candidate status. “Those are historic steps. The future of these countries is in the EU,” he said, adding that the same was true for the Western Balkan states.

Scholz explained that an expansion of the EU would be a success if it made the EU stronger. “This requires more than just reforms,” he said, pointing out that the EU also had to prepare itself for these countries’ accession.

It was key in this context, Scholz explained, that the EU had to develop pragmatic joint solutions for current issues. He mentioned the agreement concerning the Common European Asylum System that had been reached just before Christmas as a positive example: “Following a long struggle, we found a sound solution to combat irregular migration – and came to a definite agreement.”