February 7, 2012 -- Berlin -- An AJC delegation has completed a two-day visit to Berlin and Hamburg for high-level meetings.The visit followed stops by the delegation in Athens, Thessaloniki, Brussels, Paris and Rome.

In Berlin, the group, led by AJC Executive Director David Harris, met with senior officials in the Chancellor's office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Parliament.

"Our discussions focused overwhelmingly on the danger posed by Iran's nuclear ambitions," Harris said. 

"The talks came shortly after the laudable European Union decision of January 23 to toughen sanctions against Iran,” said Harris. “We, met mindful of the urgency of the moment, with U.S. officials asserting that Iran could have nuclear capability within a year. The German officials with whom we spoke fully believe, as we do, that Iran must not be allowed to cross the nuclear goal line.”

Harris added that the meetings “gave us the chance to thank Germany for its principled stance at the UN Security Council and UNESCO in opposition to the Palestinian unilateral strategy. And we indicated how pleased we were that German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle will be addressing the AJC Global Forum in Washington on May 3rd."

While in Berlin, Harris was invited to address, for the third time, the German Council on Foreign Relations on the Middle East and Transatlantic relations, as well as speak on the same topic with members of the Parliament's Committee on Foreign Relations.

The group also met with leaders of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, with which AJC has had an exchange program since 1980. During the meeting, AJC expressed concern for the two foundation employees currently being unjustly detained by Egyptian authorities, together with American and other non-governmental aid workers. 

On Monday, the Berlin-Brandenberg Press Association hosted an overflowing press conference for the AJC group to discuss the visit and issues related to Iran, upheaval in the Arab world, and Israel's security environment. Separately, Deutschlandradio, the German equivalent of National Public Radio, interviewed Harris on Middle East and Transatlantic issues to be aired in a 25-minute program on Saturday, with an expected German listening audience for the weekly slot of 1.5 million.

In Hamburg, the AJC delegation was hosted by the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr, the German leadership academy for the armed forces, and invited to address the 180 staff officers currently seeking  to become generals and admirals. By the academy's count, this was the sixth AJC visit, in addition to 40 visits by academy delegations to AJC headquarters in New York. This program evolved from an innovative partnership established between AJC and the German armed forces in 1994. 

AJC has a unique history in Germany, having been the first Jewish organization to engage the Federal Republic after its establishment in 1949. An AJC office was opened in Berlin in 1998 and, since 2000, has been directed by Deidre Berger, the former National Public Radio correspondent in Germany. In 2011, AJC honored German Chancellor Angela Merkel with the Light Unto the Nations Award at a ceremony in Berlin.