Page 8 - Port of Hamburg Magazine - 02.19

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Trade with China and the New Silk Road are a great opportunity for Germany and the Port of Hamburg
Minister of State Niels Annen in interview with Ingo Egloff, Joint CEO of Port of Hamburg Marketing.
NIELS ANNEN, MINISTER OF STATE IN FOREIGN MINISTRY
08 | Port of Hamburg Magazine | June 2019
Ingo Egloff: Niels Annen, you are a Hamburg mem- ber of the federal parliament, Minister of State in the Foreign Ministry, and you grew up in the city. You take part in many meetings in Berlin and abroad. How closely related are you still to your home city, Hamburg, and the port?
Annen: Hamburg is and will remain my home. I grew up and went to school here. It’s the city’s hallmark to be cosmopolitan, having a centuries’ old tradition as a centre of trade and a port. When I am travelling, I often notice that port cities across the world have something in common. Of course, worldwide everyone knows the Port of Hamburg. Trade, industry and the port econo- my have developed well-functioning international net- works. Not only within Europe, but in other regions too, we are in competition, which means we cannot rest on our laurels. We have to stay on the ball, nurturing and developing our international network. This is especially true in times when the political framework is becoming increasingly challenging.
You have pointed out the importance of good rela- tionships between countries. With Brexit we have a difficult situation in Europe. How does the EU position itself on developments such as emerging nationalism? How can Europe assert itself in com- petition with other regions and countries, such as the USA and China?
I am following current developments in Europe very close- ly. Those who believe that they can solve their issues on a national level, will very quickly realize that it doesn’t work. Now we can see what consequences the Brexit decision is having. The Brexit promoters lied to their own people. The Slogan ‘Take back control’ is not bad, but it only works on a European level. Even US President Trump, in discus- sions with EU Commission President Juncker, recognized that in trade questions Europe speaks with one voice, rendering negotiations with individual countries pointless. Even if Germany is very successful economically and sta- ble, we need the European Union and close cooperation with our neighbouring countries.
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