December 13, 2005. As keynote speaker at the German Armed Forces' "Winter-Lecture-Series" in Stuttgart, Consul General Bodde addressed some 250 attendees, including members of the German military as well as representatives of the consular corps, political parties and German-American organizations. In his speech, he underscored Secretary Rice's statements during her recent trip to Germany and other European countries, saying that the Unites States is committed to defeating terrorism and defending its citizens against terrorist enemies that themselves do not recognize any borders or any legal limits on their actions. He emphasized that "at the same time as we carry out our responsibility to protect our citizens, we will adhere to our duty to respect U.S. and international law. The United States Government understands that respect for the law is what sets us apart from the terrorists who are our enemies. It is also what makes possible the close cooperation we have with allies around the world, most importantly in Europe."
He called the new intensified dialogue between the U.S. and Germany, which started with President Bush's visit to Mainz in February, the Spirit of Mainz.
In the Q&A session after the speech, Consul General Bodde addressed many issues of bilateral and multilateral interest, like the United States' and Germany's engagement in NATO, the fight against AIDS/HIV as well as joint humanitarian efforts. "From Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan to relations with Russia, and from energy and the environment to nuclear proliferation, both Germany and the U.S. share strong interests in every region and on critical issues throughout the world." He also clarified the U.S. government's position on how to address climate change, pointing out that climate actions must consider economic growth.
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