Steinmeier at UN
September 22, 2006
"The different cultures have more in common than political agitators would like us to believe," Steinmeier said on Friday in New York. "We have to do everything possible to avoid a new partitioning of the world into blocs that look hostilely at each other."
Violence in the Middle East and Afghanistan as well as the international fight against terrorism should not be seen as a conflict of cultures or religions but as problems that need to be solved through dialog since "despite all our difference, we live in one world," he added.
The German minister also recalled the division of the world and his own country during the Cold War, saying no other country had experienced being so deeply split as Germany.
History formed German foreign policy
"Walls and barbed wire straight through our country symbolized the division of Europe and the world into two blocs until 1989," he said. "Since then Germany has become a symbol of overcoming this division."
Germany was politically influenced by the international partners who helped secure peace for 45 years, and that their influence was one of the reasons why Germany is now taking on similar responsibilities in Europe and other parts of the world, Steinmeier said. This week Germany deployed its navy to patrol the coast of Lebanon.
Iran dispute needs settling
Even as he called on the international community to find new ways to overcome generations of ill-will, in a message to Iran, where the UN Security Council as well as Germany have been involved in a tug of war with Teheran over its plans to enrich uranium, he also said dialog would not come at any price and called on Iran to send a signal it is willing to engage in diplomatic talks.
"Give a clear sign of trust so that we can look forward together and can sit down at the negotiating table," Steinmeier said, calling the nuclear conflict with Iran "urgent."
"No one wants to deny Iran the right to use nuclear energy peacefully, nor is the objective of the diplomatic efforts to isolate Iran," he added.
Quartet should resume Mideast peace efforts
As expected, Steinmeier also pushed the Middle East quartet of the USA, the EU, Russia and the United Nations to restart its efforts for peace in the Middle East while calling on nations there to put their animosities to rest.
"Whoever wants to make a life of peace instead of violence, safety instead of fear, prosperity instead of poverty possible for their children and grandchildren needs to have the courage to find new paths instead of maintaining old hostilities," he added.
After delivering one of the most anticipated speeches of the UN's meeting, Steinmeier, who met with a number of world leaders during his four-day stay in New York, was scheduled to meet with other EU foreign ministers as well as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice before returning to Berlin on Saturday.