Wolfgang Schäuble, Germany's Federal Minister of Finance, Awarded 2017 Henry A. Kissinger Prize

The American Academy in Berlin has awarded the 2017 Henry A. Kissinger Prize to Germany's Federal Minister of Finance, Wolfgang Schäuble. Former US Secretary of State, Henry A. Kissinger personally presented the prize to Minister Schäuble, after remarks given by Kissinger, Academy President Michael P. Steinberg, and Academy Chairman Gahl Hodges Burt, as well as a laudation held by former US Secretary of the Treasury and Harvard University President Emeritus, Lawrence H. Summers. The award ceremony was attended by 350 guests from politics, business, media, and arts and culture.

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Awarded annually to a renowned figure in the field of international diplomacy, the Kissinger Prize this year recognizes Minister Schäuble for his decisive role in fostering transatlantic dialogue, in shaping an increasingly integrated Europe, and in effectively responding to current global challenges. It also honors his enduring political engagement, which has significantly shaped Germany in its unification, advanced the European idea, and promoted the European-American partnership.

Dr. Henry A. Kissinger stated, "Wolfgang Schäuble has been an indispensable inspiration for Germany's extraordinary journey from disaster to the building of Europe."

Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble stated, "The strong relationship between Germany and the US has deep roots. How could it be otherwise, after all the positive experiences we have had? These long-standing ties are more powerful than the frictions we might be having here and there today. The discussions that are being carried out will help us build solutions that promote our common interest."

The Henry A. Kissinger Prize has been awarded annually, since 2007. It was established to honor the Founding Chairman of the Academy, former US Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger, whose initiatives to create and sustain a stable East-West relationship helped to lay the foundation for change in Europe, the end of the Cold War, and the unification of Germany. Previous recipients of the prize are Helmut Schmidt; George H.W. Bush; Richard von Weizsäcker; Michael Bloomberg; Helmut Kohl; George Shultz; Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist; James A. Baker, III; Giorgio Napolitano and Hans-Dietrich Genscher; and Samantha Power.

The American Academy in Berlin was established in 1994 by Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke and other distinguished Germans and Americans to foster greater understanding and dialogue between the United States and Germany. A private, nonprofit, nonpartisan center for advanced research in a range of academic and cultural fields, the Academy awards semester-long fellowships to emerging or established scholars, writers, and professionals each year. It also brings American thought leaders to Berlin for briefer visits for a robust exchange of views between the peoples of Germany and the United States.

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SOURCE American Academy in Berlin