GERMAN Ambassador-designate to Bahrain Clemens Hach has issued the following message on the occasion of the Day of German Unity:
“On this October 3, 2022, we celebrate the 32nd Anniversary of German Unity under special circumstances.
“When the Berlin Wall came down on November 9, 1989, and East German citizens, many of them for the first time in their lives, could travel freely to the Western part of our nation, millions of people across the globe celebrated this day as the lifting of the ‘Iron Curtain’ that had split the European continent for decades.
“Less than a year later, the unification of the two German States officially marked the end of the ‘cold war’.
“As Germany united, Europe transformed into an ever-growing area of peace, freedom and economic prosperity, not least based on a shared vision of close partnership with Russia, who’s ‘Glasnost’ and ‘Perestroika’ had been instrumental in opening the path towards German unification.
“In this perspective, over the past 32 years, we got used to celebrate the Day of German Unity as an ‘end-of-history-moment’ that had set the basis for lasting peace to our entire continent, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ural Mountains and beyond.
“Alas, since February 24 of this year, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine brought us back into a reality of confrontation and polarisation.
“The attack is bringing suffering and destruction to innocent people.
“Nato and Europe have reacted quickly to help the Ukrainian people who oppose this flagrant breach of international law and defend their nation, but still thousands of soldiers and civilians are being killed.
“The consequences of the war are not limited to the terrible suffering of the Ukrainian people.
“In Europe, people are facing a never-seen energy crisis that is fuelling inflation, threatening parts of our productive industries and even questioning our ability to heat our homes during the coming winter months.
“In such proving situations, it is particularly gratifying to be able to celebrate our anniversary with good and reliable friends, with whom we share the same values, the same commitment to international law and unwavering respect for the territorial integrity of every sovereign country.
“The Kingdom of Bahrain is to the Federal Republic of Germany such a close and good friend.
“This year, our two countries are celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations, and these relations have become ever more dynamic and close over the course of this half century of friendship.
“Beyond the excellent relations between our two governments, our peoples constitute the fundaments of this friendship.
“Hundreds of German citizens are living and working in Bahrain, enjoying the hospitality and the opportunities of this beautiful country; thousands of Bahraini citizens are visiting Germany every year, with an increasing number of highly-qualified young women and men from Bahrain enrolling in German universities.
“Our bilateral trade is increasing every year, with important German companies investing in Bahrain, in recognition of its strategic location and excellent business environment.
“May this 32nd Anniversary of German Unity remind us of the value of peace and mutual respect and understanding.”
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