05-10-2016, 11:23 AM
The German Ambassador, Peter Wittig, is speaking tomorrow (Wed) evening at the Baker Institute. His topic is "The Importance of Transatlantic Relations: Challenges of a World in Turmoil."
Details here:
http://bakerinstitute.org/events/1792/
One of the perks of being the world's most important country is that the post of Ambassador to the United States is typically one of a country's top appointments, and is generally filled by an impressive person. Wittig is a career diplomat and was for many years Germany's UN rep, in which role he served two terms as president of the Security Council.
In 2014, I heard the Ambassador of Australia, Kim Beazley AC*, speak at the Baker Institute. His topic was "Australia and the United States: The Alliance in the 21st Century." (I got him to autograph my copy of The Fatal Shore, Robert Hughes's epic history of Australia.) Beazley was a career politician rather than a career diplomat (I do not mean that as a criticism), having previously served as defense minister, finance minister, and deputy prime minister.
One impression I get whenever I hear folks from our fellow First World countries speak at events like this is that, regardless of which parties are in power in either country, there is a great deal of diplomatic, military, intelligence and scientific cooperation that is no one hears about, but that is really solid. And that's pretty cool.
*AC is the post-nominal signifier for Companion of the Order of Australia, the second-highest rank of Australia's national honorary order. It's a British Commonwealth thing.
Details here:
http://bakerinstitute.org/events/1792/
One of the perks of being the world's most important country is that the post of Ambassador to the United States is typically one of a country's top appointments, and is generally filled by an impressive person. Wittig is a career diplomat and was for many years Germany's UN rep, in which role he served two terms as president of the Security Council.
In 2014, I heard the Ambassador of Australia, Kim Beazley AC*, speak at the Baker Institute. His topic was "Australia and the United States: The Alliance in the 21st Century." (I got him to autograph my copy of The Fatal Shore, Robert Hughes's epic history of Australia.) Beazley was a career politician rather than a career diplomat (I do not mean that as a criticism), having previously served as defense minister, finance minister, and deputy prime minister.
One impression I get whenever I hear folks from our fellow First World countries speak at events like this is that, regardless of which parties are in power in either country, there is a great deal of diplomatic, military, intelligence and scientific cooperation that is no one hears about, but that is really solid. And that's pretty cool.
*AC is the post-nominal signifier for Companion of the Order of Australia, the second-highest rank of Australia's national honorary order. It's a British Commonwealth thing.