Meldung
Wolfgang Ischinger erhält Global Statesman Award des EastWest Institute
Wolfgang Ischinger, Vorsitzender der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz, ist mit dem John Edwin Mroz Global Statesman Award des EastWest Institute ausgezeichnet worden. Bei der Preisverleihung in New York wurde auch Stephen B. Heintz, Präsident des Rockefeller Brothers Fund geehrt.
Am 2. Oktober hat das EastWest Institute (EWI) den John Edwin Mroz Global Statesman Award an Botschafter Wolfgang Ischinger und Stephen B. Heintz verliehen. Der Preis würdigt die herausragenden Karrieren beider Persönlichkeiten sowie deren kontinuierlichen Einsatz für die transatlantische Partnerschaft.
Die Auszeichnungen wurden im Rahmen der jährlichen Gala des EWI im Metropolitan Club in New York verliehen. Das Programm des Abends begann mit einer Rede von Botschafter Frank G. Wisner (International Affairs Advisor, Squire Patton Boggs, LLP). Es folgten persönliche Bemerkungen von Dr. Armen Sarkissian (Präsident Armeniens) und Vartan Gregorian (Präsident der Carnegie Corporation of New York). Frances Fragos Townsend (Executive Vice President, MacAndrews and Forbes Incorporated) führte durch den Abend.
Botschafter Ischinger ist dem EastWest Institute aktiv verbunden und war ab 2001 Mitglied im Board of Directors. Das EastWest Institute rief in Gedenken an den verstorbenen Gründer John Edwin Mroz den gleichnamigen Award ins Leben. Diese Auszeichnung würdigt Menschen, die dessen Vision einer friedlichen Welt teilen, leidenschaftlich an einer solchen Welt arbeiten und entsprechende Werte verkörpern.
Auszug aus Wolfgang Ischingers Dankesrede
This fall, Germans and Americans are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. As a matter of fact, almost exactly 30 years ago today, my assignment was to accompany one of those trains carrying thousands of East German refugees from Prague to West Germany: the freedom trains.
What followed then – the international negotiating process culminating in German unification on October 3, 1990, our National Day which happens to be tomorrow – could never have been successfully concluded without the trust, the support, and the leadership of the United States.
In fact, Germany owes the United States a twofold debt of gratitude: First, for inviting post-war, post-Nazi Germany to join the West, to become a member of the Western community of nations. What a generous and historic decision that was!
And second, for pushing the unification process in 1989/1990 forward in a way which allowed unified Germany to be a member of both the European Union and of NATO. Again, a strategic decision of historic dimensions!
To my American friends I can only say this: Thank you for standing by us for these last 70 years. This will never be forgotten!
Looking at current tensions and disagreements in the transatlantic relationship, allow me to say this: We continue to need the U.S., we continue to need NATO, and we continue to need strong U.S. leadership in the Euro-Atlantic space. We need you even if we happen to have disagreements on certain policies, such as burden-sharing in NATO, Iran, or trade.
Because even if we manage to build a more powerful and more capable European Union, we will still want to preserve and maintain the closest possible transatlantic relationship, including through NATO.
And I hope Americans know that their best friends and allies overseas are in Europe – even if we may sometimes be really difficult friends. And I hope you and many Americans out there know that America will be greater and stronger with Europe than without Europe.
So let's resolve to engage, engage, engage with each other. Our children deserve a safer world. Together, we and the transatlantic alliance can help create and defend it!
(Beitragsbild: www.sardari.com)
