German President Horst Koehler called on Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to finally end their dispute over Merkel’s controversial meeting with Dalai Lama which has marred Berlin’s ties with Beijing.
The German chief executive who holds a largely ceremonial post, urged Merkel and Steinmeier “not to show a divided stance to the outside world on the question.”
At the same time, Koehler defended Merkel’s talks with the Dalai Lama.
“Human rights have universal validity for me, although I also have respect for the diversity of cultures,” the president added.
He stressed that Merkel was still adhering to Germany’s one-China policy.
“The chancellor has not distanced herself from the traditional one-China policy. China knows that too,” he added.
Merkel has strongly defended her decision to meet with the Tibetan spiritual leader.
“As Chancellor, I decide whom I meet and where I meet them. I wish everyone in the government would keep to this position because otherwise China’s respect for us will not increase,” she was quoted as saying.
Her remarks were clearly aimed at Steinmeier who has criticized Merkel for trying to “showcase” the human rights issue as part of her wider public relations strategy in the field of German foreign policy.
The Merkel-Steinmeier dispute comes at a time where both coalition partners are getting ready for the 2009 election campaign with the Social Democrats (SPD) trailing by a wide margin in all opinion polls over the past weeks.
Although SPD chairman Kurt Beck is still a front-runner for the chancellor’s job, Merkel sees also in Steinmeier a likely serious contender for the top post in Germany.
While Merkel has pressed ahead with the US rapprochement process and tried to distance herself from China and Russia, Steinmeier who was the former bureau chief of ex-chancellor Gerhard Schroeder — had played an instrumental role in fostering closer ties with Beijing and Moscow.
