New German FM Wants to Bring 'Offer of Friendship and Trust' to US

Newly-appointed German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Thursday that he would like to discuss with the administration of US President Donald Trump several aspects of foreign policy and the prospects of the NATO alliance during his forthcoming visit.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Gabriel added that he hoped for a personal exchange with his US counterpart Rex Tillerson and would bring to the United States the "offer of friendship and trust."

"There are questions we want to ask the new US Administration about its foreign policy, its relationship to the Alliance and the world order," Gabriel said in a statement ahead of his visit to the United States, as quoted by the German Foreign Ministry.

According to the German diplomat, the relations between Berlin and Washington required "close liaison" between the two nations due to the existing issues of the international agenda.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Trump several times exchanged criticism over opposing views on migration. Merkel slammed Trump's order blocking all refugees from coming to the United States for 120 days and suspended the entry for citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days. Meanwhile, Trump criticized her migration policy and his praise for UK’s "smart" decision to "get out" of the European Union.