New Year’s Reception 2015

ECFR Annual New Year's reception with Michael Roth, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office of Germany

Guests

Michael Roth, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office of Germany

 

 

Chaired by

Olaf Böhnke, Head of ECFR Berlin

On 2 February 2015, the ECFR Berlin Office held its annual New Year‘s reception. The event was opened by guest of honour Michael Roth, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office of Germany. He stressed the need for a vivid exchange on foreign policy matters amid the ongoing crisis in the Ukraine and growing threat of terrorism. Although Europe’s economic performance is improving, challenges remain on the road to full recovery. Similarly to ECFR’s assessment of Germany’s leading role in European foreign affairs, the Federal Foreign Office recognised the need for Berlin to continue to stay in constructive dialogue with partner countries over these matters.

The New Year‘s reception also provided an opportunity to introduce the new members of the ECFR Berlin Office. Olaf Boehnke, Head of ECFR Berlin, welcomed Josef Janning (Senior Policy Fellow), Dr Angela Stanzel (Asia/China-Program), Dr Gustav Gressel (Wider Europe Program) and Rachel Tausendfreund (Editor).

He further seized this opportunity to thank the Mercator Foundation for funding this event as well as the Robert Bosch Foundation, the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the German Foreign Office, the Dutch Embassy in Berlin as well as the Hertie School of Governance and many other donors for their generosity and continuous support of the ECFR’s activities and projects.

After the introductory remarks, the guests from the political, diplomatic, academic and civil sphere gathered around snacks and drinks for an evening of informal discussions.

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