Welcome
Minister of State Lindner is travelling to London, UK
Minister of State Tobias Lindner issued the following statement today (29 October) prior to his departure for London:
My visit to the United Kingdom is taking me to one of our most important partner countries in our joint efforts to promote a secure Europe and a more just world. Today, I will be attending the Königswinter Conference, a key forum for strengthening civil-society cooperation between our two countries. Particularly now that we are working on a comprehensive bilateral agreement between our countries, it is important to emphasise that the in-depth relations between our societies are the foundation of our close partnership and friendship. The content of the agreement will cover the full spectrum of our relations, from our work on democratic resilience to hydrogen, from support for Ukraine to defence against hybrid threats. For the security of Europe and the world, it is crucial for us to continue deepening our already close cooperation on foreign, security and defence policy and to support and encourage the UK’s reset with the EU. Only together can we manage the enormous challenges facing European security.
Background information
Minister of State Tobias Lindner is travelling to London from 29 to 30 October, where he will hold political talks in addition to opening and attending the German-British Königswinter Conference. The Königswinter Conference has been the primary forum for bilateral discussions between representatives from civil society, business and politics in Germany and the United Kingdom since the 1950s. It takes place annually, alternating between the two countries. In Germany, it is hosted by the Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Minister of State Lindner will open the conference this afternoon, on Tuesday, 29 October, together with Stephen Doughty, Minister of State for Europe in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and will join a panel on security and defence cooperation chaired by Lord George Robertson, a former NATO Secretary General and UK Defence Secretary. He will also hold talks at the UK Ministry of Defence and the FCDO on the two countries’ close foreign and security policy cooperation, with the aim of strengthening Europe’s security, including continued joint support for Ukraine.