Foreign Minister on a trip to the USA
Baerbock meets Governor Abbott in Texas
September 13, 2023, 1:44 a.m
Baerbock begins her multi-day trip to the USA with a first stage in Texas. A meeting with the ultra-conservative Governor Abbott is not just about feel-good topics for the Secretary of State.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has begun a multi-day trip to the USA in the state of Texas, which will also take her to Washington and New York. “Texas is a state of extremes in a country of extremes,” said the Green politician in the Texas capital Austin after a meeting with the arch-conservative Governor Greg Abbott. Texas is a state “that still has one foot in the fossil fuel world of oil and gas and, on the other hand, is a leader in wind power and solar energy, not only in the USA, but also worldwide,” explained Baerbock .
Texas also has “insane social tensions.” In addition to further support for Ukraine, her conversation with the Republican Abbott also discussed questions “on which we have completely different opinions.” Baerbock referred to gun rights and the “right of women to self-determination” – a reference to the very strict abortion law in Texas.
Baerbock landed at Austin airport on Tuesday. Before her meeting with Governor Abbott, she visited the technology company Mobileye, which is running an autonomous driving project together with Volkswagen.
“Don’t just travel to Washington”
Baerbock consciously decided not to just stop in the capital Washington during her visit to the USA, as is common with many ministerial visits to the USA. “Just as you can’t understand Germany if you travel alone to Berlin, you certainly can’t understand the United States of America if you’re just in Washington,” she said in Austin. That’s why it was important to her to travel to the second largest US state.
Baerbock wants to visit the company Advario, which sets up supply chains for green ammonia, in the Texas economic metropolis of Houston on Wednesday. Meetings are also planned with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and representatives of the Texas Latino community. Baerbock later visits a US air force base in Wichita Falls, Texas, where German fighter jet pilots have been trained since 1966.
Meeting planned with Blinken
Political talks will take place in Washington on Thursday. Baerbock will meet representatives of Congress and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the capital. Blinken will receive Baerbock for dinner on Thursday, followed by further discussions and a joint press conference on Friday. From Washington, Baerbock travels to New York, where she will take part in the general debate at the UN General Assembly next week. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is also expected to attend.
For Baerbock, it is the second visit to the USA since the beginning of her term in office, excluding visits to the United Nations in New York. Her inaugural visit in January 2022 only lasted a few hours due to the Corona restrictions in force at the time.