Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany

06/29/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/29/2026 09:23

Bridges across the North and South Atlantic: Foreign Minister Wadephul is travelling to the United States, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil

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Bridges across the North and South Atlantic: Foreign Minister Wadephul is travelling to the United States, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil

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29.06.2026 - Article

Foreign Minister Wadephul today begins his trip to North and South America. The focus will be on standing shoulder to shoulder in both political and economic terms - from the transatlantic security architecture with the United States to opportunities for growth with the Mercosur states.

Foreign Minister Wadephul is today embarking on a one-week trip to the Americas that will take him first to the United States, then on to Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil, places that reflect the increasing strategic importance of South America, too, for Europe - whether with regard to the stability of global supply chains, economic diversification, or shared responsibility for a stable international order that is based on rules.

Latin America in particular is becoming more of a focus of German foreign policy - not only as a dynamic economic area, but also, at a time when security, trade and geopolitical stability are closely interconnected, as a partner. Germany is deliberately seeking closer partnerships with the countries of the continent that share joint interests and convictions - across the Atlantic.

Prior to his departure, Foreign Minister Wadephul said:

In a world marked by global upheaval and multicrises, the only way for us to uphold our core interests is through strong partnerships. Freedom, security and prosperity - these are the goals by which I am guided as Foreign Minister. And we as Germans and Europeans are closely linked to our natural partners on the continents of North and South America. That is why I am again visiting both on this trip.

United States: Together assume responsibility for our security

In Washington on Monday, Foreign Minister Wadephul will first meet his American counterpart, Marco Rubio, to coordinate on key issues concerning the international security order: the situation in the Middle East, further support for Ukraine, and preparations for next week's NATO Summit in Ankara.

Another main focus will be on how the NATO Alliance partners can arrive at new burden-sharing and strengthen the Alliance's defence and deterrence capabilities for the long term.

Foreign Minister Wadephul underlined the following prior to his departure:

The United States is and will remain our most important partner outside Europe. We stand together as allies in defending our freedom. Our Euro-Atlantic security decisively depends on us retaining our steadfast resolve within NATO in the future, too. It is for good reason that Putin's Russia does not dare attack a NATO Member Country: our collective defence is effective. During talks with my counterpart Marco Rubio, I will discuss how, at next week's NATO Summit in Ankara, we can achieve new burden-sharing within the Alliance, as well as stable, long-term support for Ukraine. Support that will make Moscow realise that the time has finally come to stop the killing in Ukraine and sit down at the negotiating table. Ukraine has for some time now been willing to make peace - and we Europeans are willing to provide all the support we can in this regard.

Paraguay: Mercosur as a lever for growth and stability

Following his meeting with the US Secretary of State, Foreign Minister Wadephul will travel on to Paraguay. On Tuesday he will attend the Mercosur Summit, taking place in Asunción under a Paraguayan presidency.

The Summit marks an important moment in relations between Europe and South America. The EU-Mercosur agreement creates an economic area that not only links markets but also consolidates political stability and deepens rules-based international cooperation.

Before setting off, Foreign Minister Wadephul called for a new economic dynamism for the benefit of all:

The EU-Mercosur free trade agreement is a milestone for trade and presents tremendous growth potential for Germany and Europe. 31 robust democracies with a combined population of more than 700 million that account for 20% of global GDP are placing free trade over tariffs, and competition over protectionism. At the Mercosur Summit in Paraguay and during my talks in Argentina and Brazil, I want to explore how the world's largest free trade area can generate growth and prosperity for both sides. The preparations have been put in place. German companies must now seize the opportunities they have in the Mercosur countries. That is why I will be accompanied by business representatives from the energy, security and defence, and raw materials sectors.

On the fringes of the Summit, Foreign Minister Wadephul will also hold talks with representatives of the Paraguayan Government and with the President of Chile.

Argentina: Critical raw materials, culture of remembrance, sport

In Buenos Aires, Wadephul will be intensifying bilateral cooperation with Argentina in a key field for the future: critical raw materials and minerals. With a planned declaration of intent, the two sides will establish the foundations for closer cooperation aimed at strengthening security of supply for Germany and at the same time promoting value creation and industrial development in Argentina.

The social dimension of German-Argentine relations will be a further focus of the trip. The visit to the Parque de la Memoria (Remembrance Park) makes clear that the partnership with Argentina also includes both sides confronting their own history. The park is a memorial to the victims of the military dictatorship and is a central place of remembrance of the disappeared, victims of state violence and human rights violations of that period. It thus symbolises the importance of remembrance, human rights and democratic responsibility in today's bilateral relations.

A further stop on the trip to Argentina is a visit to the River Plate Stadium accompanied by the Argentine Foreign Minister and sports ambassador and former national footballer Cacau. The ongoing men's FIFA World Cup shows what strong ties sport creates across nations and continents. In Argentina in particular, football is extremely important in society.

Brazil: Innovation, industry and new dynamism

The next stop on the trip is one of the world's most dynamic economic centres and the largest city in the southern hemisphere: São Paulo. At a conference of the German Chamber of Commerce Abroad there, Foreign Minister Wadephul will be calling for closer economic links with Brazil and the Mercosur states.

One particular focus will be Brazil's innovative capacity. Prior to departure, Foreign Minister Wadephul said:

Brazil and Germany are strategic partners. Only a few months ago, Brazil was the Partner Country at HANNOVER MESSE, and intergovernmental consultations were held in this context. Brazil's economy has immense potential for innovation, including in the field of sustainable transformation. We also want to work together to give even more of the country's well-trained skilled workers access to our job market, as they are urgently needed here.

The Minister's trip will end with political talks with his Brazilian counterpart in Brasília aimed at further intensifying bilateral cooperation and agreeing new formats for exchanges between German and Brazilian diplomats.

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Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany published this content on June 29, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 29, 2026 at 15:23 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]