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Tag: German government

  • Germany expels a Russian diplomat after a suspect is arrested in an espionage case

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    BERLIN (AP) — The German government on Thursday announced the expulsion of a Russian diplomat over a case in which a woman was arrested on suspicion of supplying information related to the war in Ukraine to an intelligence contact at Moscow’s embassy in Berlin.

    The Foreign Ministry said in a social media post that “the German government doesn’t tolerate espionage in Germany, still less under the disguise of diplomatic status.” It said it summoned the Russian ambassador and told him it was expelling “the person in question who spied on behalf of Russia.”

    The main suspect in the case, a German-Ukrainian dual citizen, was arrested in Berlin on Wednesday. Federal prosecutors said she had been in contact since at least November 2023 with a man at the Russian Embassy who worked for a Russian intelligence service.

    They alleged that, on various occasions, she supplied him with information linked to the war in Ukraine. She allegedly helped with inquiries about defense industry locations, drone tests and planned drone deliveries to Ukraine, and turned to former employees in “the area of operations of the Defense Ministry” who were personal acquaintances.

    The woman also occasionally helped her Russian Embassy contact visit political events in Berlin under aliases so that he could make contacts for Russian intelligence, prosecutors said.

    The Defense Ministry said the investigation also involves two former German military employees, one of them a recently retired officer, who are suspected of disclosing information to the main suspect.

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  • German minister: Talks with Taliban on deportations ‘well advanced’

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    Discussions between Germany and the Taliban on deportations of offenders to Afghanistan are “well advanced,” Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Thursday.

    In a debate in the German parliament, Dobrindt said “technical discussions” recently took place in Kabul with employees from his ministry.

    “I want to tell you that these talks are well advanced and we will continue along this path consistently,” the minister told lawmakers in Berlin. “Criminals have no place in Germany. We will regularly deport them to Afghanistan.”

    Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s administration has pledged to step up deportations since taking office in May.

    Contacts with the Taliban are controversial, as the German government does not officially maintain diplomatic relations with the Islamist organization, which returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

    The group is internationally isolated due to its disregard for human rights and women’s rights in particular.

    Since 2021, Afghan criminals have been deported from Germany on two occasions with the help of Qatar.

    According to Dobrindt, one issue in the Kabul talks was whether it would be possible to regularly deport people to Afghanistan using scheduled flights as well as chartered ones.

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  • Merz hosts big meeting in bid to boost flagging German car sector

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    German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks during the German Cabinet meeting at the German Chancellery in Berlin. Michael Kappeler/dpa

    German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will hold talks on Thursday in Berlin with representatives of the car industry, including manufacturers, suppliers, trade unions and state officials.

    Germany’s famous automotive sector is grappling with declining sales, competition from China, the transition to e-mobility, and EU regulations aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

    Additionally, higher tariffs on US imports are adding to the challenges. Many companies are reporting sharp drops in profits, implementing cost-cutting measures, and reducing jobs.

    According to the German government, the two-hour meeting will focus on finding joint solutions to position the car industry successfully for future technologies. The aim is to secure jobs while meeting climate targets.

    Merz, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, the president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) Hildegard Müller and IG Metall union chairwoman Christiane Benner will provide updates following the meeting.

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  • Human rights commissioner: Afghans urgently need visas for Germany

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    The human rights commissioner of the German government, Lars Castellucci, has called on the Interior Ministry and the Foreign Office to expedite the admission of vulnerable Afghan men and women from Pakistan.

    He wrote on the platform X on Friday that the government coalition had agreed on an orderly and humanitarian migration policy. The lengthy examinations in the case of the Afghanistan admission programme fulfil neither, he added. Castellucci argued that those who want to curb illegal migration must simultaneously open legal pathways.

    Time is pressing due to deportations

    Castellucci demanded that those who have received a legally binding promise of entry to Germany through the Federal Admission Programme for Afghanistan must also receive their visa “promptly.” He said that time is pressing in light of deportations from Pakistan to Afghanistan.

    German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that each case would be examined to determine whether there is a legally binding obligation to admit. He also said that a security check would be conducted.

    This concerns Afghans who are considered at risk because they have advocated for democratic rights or once worked as local staff for the German Armed Forces or German organizations. These people, along with their family members, have an admission promise from the previous coalition government.

    Since the German embassy in Kabul has been closed since Afghanistan was retaken by the Islamist Taliban in 2021, they are undergoing the examination process in Pakistan.

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  • German foreign minister sees Indonesia and Japan as key to business

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    Indonesia and Japan are key countries in Asia for the German economy, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Thursday at the end of a four-day inaugural visit to the two countries.

    “Indonesia is a good example of how we have markets around the world that we don’t really see,” the conservative politician said in Jakarta, after visiting a production facility belonging to German truck and bus manufacturer Daimler Truck.

    Wadephul said Indonesia, a country of more than 280 million people, is developing slowly but steadily.

    “We must finally recognize that there is a growing middle class and a growing number of consumers who are looking for new products and new ideas,” he added.

    “There is no single way to broaden your base or become independent, but rather many ways. And I believe that there are great opportunities in this region in particular.”

    Wadephul visits Daimler factory

    Earlier, Wadephul was briefed on the work at Daimler Truck’s production site in Cikarang, east of Jakarta, which opened in June. The company manufactures chassis for trucks and buses at the site.

    Around 200 employees assemble almost 200 chassis every month, on a site covering 130,000 square metres, for the Indonesian market and neighbouring regions.

    Daimler Truck has invested a total of €27 million ($31.4 million) in the new location. A special feature is the company’s own test track, which the minister took a look at.

    According to the German government, Daimler Truck is one of the few German companies that has its own production facilities in Indonesia, in addition to sales and training activities.

    Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul delivers a statement and takes questions from journalists at the end of his trip. Soeren Stache/dpa

    Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (L) and Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), stand next to each other before their meeting. Soeren Stache/dpa

    Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (L) and Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), stand next to each other before their meeting. Soeren Stache/dpa

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