+ A
A -
When then German Chancellor Angela Merkel was making her way out of government last November, she made it very clear that she would not return to politics after stepping down as chancellor. Her plan, instead, she told DW, was to sleep and read.
It is to no surprise then that on Wednesday, she turned down an offer to work with the United Nations. Her office said she spoke to the UN secretary-general after being offered a role, thanking him but letting him know that she would be turning it down. She was reportedly offered the opportunity of chairing a high-level advisory body, DW reported. Other reports said the position was based in New York.
Her successor, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on Thursday, addressed the World Economic Forum's online Davos Agenda 2022 summit, calling for greater international cooperation to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and warning that the world may run out of Greek alphabet letters for new variants of the virus without a truly global immunisation campaign.
He also cautioned that borders in Europe must not be moved by force and it was impossible to stay silent after years of rising tensions around Ukraine's border with Russia.
There has been a growing apprehension in some quarters as Russia preparing to invade Ukraine as it has reportedly stationed nearly 1,00,000 troops near the border with the neighbouring country.
In his first speech at a global forum since becoming Chancellor in December after 16 years of his predecessor Angela Merkel being at the helm, Scholz said there is a clear commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity though it is not yet possible to say whether the situation on Russia-Ukraine border could be de-escalated with intensive diplomatic contacts.
It is to no surprise then that on Wednesday, she turned down an offer to work with the United Nations. Her office said she spoke to the UN secretary-general after being offered a role, thanking him but letting him know that she would be turning it down. She was reportedly offered the opportunity of chairing a high-level advisory body, DW reported. Other reports said the position was based in New York.
Her successor, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, on Thursday, addressed the World Economic Forum's online Davos Agenda 2022 summit, calling for greater international cooperation to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and warning that the world may run out of Greek alphabet letters for new variants of the virus without a truly global immunisation campaign.
He also cautioned that borders in Europe must not be moved by force and it was impossible to stay silent after years of rising tensions around Ukraine's border with Russia.
There has been a growing apprehension in some quarters as Russia preparing to invade Ukraine as it has reportedly stationed nearly 1,00,000 troops near the border with the neighbouring country.
In his first speech at a global forum since becoming Chancellor in December after 16 years of his predecessor Angela Merkel being at the helm, Scholz said there is a clear commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity though it is not yet possible to say whether the situation on Russia-Ukraine border could be de-escalated with intensive diplomatic contacts.
