An Enduring Partnership
>> Germany and the U.S. Republican Party

HENRY NICKEL, CHAIRMAN - For more than half a century, generations of Americans and Europeans have shared a vision of peace, freedom and opportunity. The nations of the United States and Western Europe have worked in close partnership in recent decades in pursuit of this vision and nowhere are the fruits more evident than in Germany. From rebuilding the country after the devastation of war, defeating the evils of the Soviet Empire and developing successful political cultural and economic ties, Germany and the United States have and will continue to be close partners in pursuit of a better world. 

Republicans have played a vital role in Germany's history of success over the last half-century and will no doubt continue to work along side this vital ally. Germany today faces new challenges to address the social and economic needs brought on by its previous successes. Though we may not always agree questions of form, we will continue to agree on issues of substance. Pragmatism is as much a pillar of Republican virtue as is the commitment to freedom, opportunity and accountability. The challenge of the next century is to look beyond squabbles over process and focus on solutions to the challenges faced by the civilized world. I have no doubt that the peoples of both our nations will do just that and that Republicans will continue to cooperate in the effort to achieve lasting solutions.

Commerce has and will continue to be the mortar that bonds our nations. The creation and exchange of value and wealth historically unite people of all creeds, nationalities and disposition. Republicans have a long track record of nurturing commerce through free and fair markets and providing an environment that brings incentives for enterprise and innovation. Competition is vital to the health of any economy and trade is an integral component of a competitive economy. For competition to be effective it must be fair and thus must adhere to equality of opportunity. International opinion is not a proxy for fair competition and never will be. Government should always seek to govern best and in reference to a free market that means to govern least while insisting upon unambiguous accountability. 

Republican pragmatism affirms that Germany and the United States are not heading down separate roads dividing what has been more than a half-century of peace, prosperity and optimism, in fact quite the opposite. Our partnership and commitment to Republican virtues of accountability and hard work will continue sustaining our mutual success. The challenges of the next century promise to create new opportunities for our nations to improve the quality of life not only for our own citizens but also of others who now know only of oppression and misery. To continue our track record of success we must continue to address the common core issues we face by making the needed hard decisions and seeking opportunities to create a better life for all people. 

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