Opinions & Interviews

"The two years that I have been working in Minsk allow me to conclude that we are moving forward in the bilateral relations. First, I think, we can rightly say that the atmosphere of contacts has improved. Secondly, the level of contacts has risen, their frequency intensified. And, perhaps most importantly, the parameters and depth of the topics we are discussing have greatly intensified,” the diplomat said.

The head of the German diplomatic mission expressed the view that there is a great potential for further development of the Belarusian-German ties. He said: "Of course, we haven't gotten to the point we would like to be. But we are on the right track and I hope that the speed of this movement will increase.”

The Ambassador highlighted the importance of developing the trade and economic cooperation between Germany and Belarus and said that the German side is looking forward to even greater results in this direction.

Speaking about the fall of the Berlin Wall Wolfram Maas emphasized that this is a very important event for the Germans.

On 9 November the German capital hosted celebrations on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which has become the symbol of the Cold War and the division of Europe. A memorial ceremony at the memorial complex "The Berlin Wall" was attended by Chancellor Angela Merkel and other officials, diplomats, and members of the public. Some 8,000 helium balloons were released into the night sky over Germany's capital at the culmination of events to mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 as the "anti-fascist barrier" by the German Democratic Republic (GDR). There were nine border crossings between East and West Berlin. On 9 November 1989 the Berlin Wall fell. This marked the first critical step towards German reunification, which concluded formally on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of East Germany and the official reunification of the German state.