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Merkel pledges to 'stand together' with US after election

AFP/DPA/The Local
AFP/DPA/The Local - [email protected]
Merkel pledges to 'stand together' with US after election
Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday gave a speech on US-German relations following the election of Democrat Joe Biden. Photo: DPA

Germany will "stand together" with the United States to overcome global challenges from the coronavirus pandemic to global warming, Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed Monday after Joe Biden was elected America's next president.

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Germany and the US share multiple common interests, Merkel said, adding that in dealing with international problems, "Germans and Europeans know that we must take on more responsibility in this partnership in the 21st century".

In a statement that was markedly warm compared to her remarks four years ago when Donald Trump took the White House, Merkel underlined the "friendship of both countries that has stood the test of time".

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She pointed to the president-elect's "decades of experience in foreign policy" and recalls "good encounters and talks with him".

READ ALSO: Germany-US friendship is 'irreplaceable': Merkel sends congratulations to Joe Biden

Merkel also said Vice-President-Elect Kamala Harris - "as the first woman in this office and as a child of two immigrants" -- was an "inspiration" for many.

Back in 2016, the veteran chancellor greeted Trump's victory with an extraordinary warning, implying that she would work with the US president only on the condition that he respect democratic values.

This time round, Merkel pledged to stand "side by side" with the US on "the difficult test of the corona pandemic... the fight against global warming and the fight against terrorism", noting that Germany and the US share multiple common interests.

At the same time, while promising cooperation, Merkel said Europeans would also do more to pull their own weight.

She said: "America is and will remain our most important ally, but it expects us - rightly so - to make greater efforts of our own to ensure our security and stand up for our convictions in the world."

READ ALSO: What could Joe Biden as US president mean for Germany?

Biden was elected president on Saturday following four days of counting the results in a close race. Sitting president Donald Trump does not want to recognise the results, and has vowed to contest them in a court. Merkel did not comment on this.

On Saturday the Chancellor already congratulated Biden and incoming Vice President Kamala Harris per Twitter, and said she is looking forward to upcoming cooperation between the two countries.

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