German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) has rejected Moscow’s calls for establishing a new European security policy. Speaking Monday before his departure for the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Paris, the CDU politician argued that “Europe does not need a new security architecture, as Russia tries to convince us, but rather the restoration of the existing one.”
Wadephul specified that this existing framework includes the Helsinki Final Act, the Paris Charter, and the Budapest Memorandum. According to him, “all of these aim at guaranteeing all borders and the sovereign equality of all states.” He added that these established agreements are “urgent prerequisites for the revival of the world economy,” which he believes is the primary mandate for the G7 group.
The minister noted that the current succession of international meetings suggests that diplomacy is “at full speed,” a rapid pace he deemed “more necessary than ever.” He asserted that Germany is “continuously represented” in all major bodies and is leveraging its role “in the interest of safeguarding European concerns.”
This approach, he explained, implies that, regarding the conflict in Iran, the focus should be on concrete negotiations rather than new military escalations. Furthermore, regarding the war in Ukraine, Europe must be an integral “part of the solution path.” Wadephul stated that during the G7 meeting, he will be contributing to the European position “together with France and the United Kingdom.”
The G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting was recently moved from Marseille to Paris. The participating members include Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also expected to attend the meeting.
