German Chancellor Merz defends his country's decision not to join Gaza ceasefire call

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in Berlin. Merz and Fiala held a joint press conference following their talks at the German Chancellery. Chancellor Merz stated that he and his guest Fiala discussed support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, European defense and security policy, bilateral relations with a focus on the economy, the customs tariff dispute with the US, and Germany's border controls.

German Chancellor Merz was asked why his country did not join the joint statement in which 28 countries, including the UK, France, and Canada, called on Israel to implement an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip. Chancellor Merz stated that the content of the 28-country Gaza statement was the same as the joint statement adopted by the EU Council in recent weeks, saying, "The European Council has a joint statement with almost the same content as what was expressed in the call by the 28 countries. I can claim to be one of the first people in Germany to say very clearly that the conditions in Gaza are no longer acceptable. I expressed this clearly and unequivocally a week ago. I want to repeat it here again. I want to make a strong call to the Israeli government to stop the intense military attacks, to provide the opportunity to facilitate a ceasefire, and to allow humanitarian aid to reach the population there."

Chancellor Merz stated that they maintained this stance at the EU Council, saying, "I actively participated in the preparation of the text we adopted at the EU Council in Brussels a few weeks ago."

When reminded of calls from the coalition partner Social Democratic Party for Germany to join the statement of countries condemning Israel, Merz said there were no disagreements within the coalition. Merz stated, "There is no disagreement; on the contrary, calling on the Israeli government to immediately end this intense bombardment of the Gaza Strip and to allow humanitarian aid is the joint policy of the coalition in Berlin."

GERMANY'S BORDER CONTROLS

Border controls for those arriving from neighboring countries, including the Czech Republic, were also on the agenda during the two leaders' meeting. German Chancellor Merz emphasized an Europe-focused solution regarding border controls, saying, "As long as we are not in a position to better protect Europe's external borders, we will have to carry out controls at Europe's internal borders."

CUSTOMS DUTY DISPUTE

Merz said, "We are now approaching a critical stage in the customs dispute with the US. We need an agreement that includes fair, reliable, and low customs rates. This trade policy between the US and Europe should strengthen the transatlantic market, not weaken it. Otherwise, this dispute will cause even greater damage than it has already caused, especially for consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. If such a solution is not found, we risk experiencing economic uncertainties at a time when we need the opposite."

"GERMANY AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC ARE STRATEGIC PARTNERS"

Czech Prime Minister Fiala emphasized that his country is a strategic partner of Germany. Fiala made assessments regarding the new railway connection between the Czech Republic and Germany, the development of trade, and the facilitation of travel. Addressing Germany's tightening of border controls as part of the fight against illegal migration, Fiala said, "If we cannot find an effective solution at the European level, this will lead to problematic relations within Europe and the reintroduction of border controls. We can understand to some extent Germany's introduction of controls at its internal borders."

Fiala added, "We agree that we must continue our efforts to support Ukraine. We must ensure that military aid continues uninterrupted so that Ukraine can continue its brave struggle. We also want to cooperate with Germany on strengthening Ukraine's air defense forces."

News Source: İHA