George W Bush praises partnership with Germany 04/10/2006 00:00

4 October 2006

WASHINGTON - President George W Bush praised US-German ties Tuesday, portraying the two nations as partners in spreading democracy.

In a statement coinciding with Germany's national unity day, Bush recalled the influence of German immigrants and their descendants over more than 200 years of US history.

"By working together as partners in peace with a mutual commitment to liberty, the United States and Germany can lay the foundation for a more hopeful tomorrow," he said.

October 3, designated as German-American Day by the US government, was a chance "to recognize the friendship between Germany and the United States," Bush said.

US-German ties chilled in 2002 when Bush and former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder fell out over the US-led war in Iraq. Relations have warmed since Angela Merkel of the centre-right Christian Democrats became chancellor after elections last year.

German Unity Day marks the October 3, 1990 reunification of east and west Germany after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 at the end of the Cold War.

DPA

Subject: German news