Statement Development Minister Svenja Schulze on recent reports regarding the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

“It is nothing new that a new US administration starts out by taking a closer look at the course that has been pursued in development policy so far, and giving thought to its future course. What matters is what conclusions President Trump will draw from the current review. It remains to be seen what actions will follow the announcements that have been made. One thing is clear – for some of the world's poorest countries in particular, which depend massively on US support, the withdrawal of the United States might have very painful consequences. Neither Germany nor the EU will be able to fill the gaps which might be left by the US, which is the world's largest bilateral donor.

”However, what is also clear in my view is that, considering the many crises which the world is facing today, we need not less but more international cooperation. For Germany, an exporting nation, it is particularly true that our prosperity has been built on openness towards the world, stable international markets and reliable international cooperation. Cutting resources in this field threatens the very basis of our prosperity and security.“