That is why events like today’s – and the activities by the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Council on Germany in general – are so important. I would like to thank you for inviting me here today. It is a great pleasure to be part of a debate with such a distinguished audience.
To kick off the forthcoming discussion, I would like to sketch out some thoughts on transatlantic relations from the perspective of a German central banker, in particular on the German current account surplus, trade tensions, and the role of central banks.