Dear Mr. Ambassador,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to the reception of the German Embassy and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg on the occasion of the Day of German Unity – den Tag der Deutschen Einheit.
It is a good tradition that this day of national importance is celebrated not only in Germany, but also in German embassies around the world.
Thank you, Ambassador Hector, for inviting Hamburg to partner this year's event at the German Embassy in Copenhagen.
In 2023, Hamburg hosted Germany's national celebrations with a grand ceremony in our Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall.
More than 700,000 people visited the "Citizens' Festival" in our city center and experienced the diversity, modernity and internationality of Hamburg and Germany.
It was a great honor for us because the reunification was a turning point in German history.
We were reunited with family, friends and neighbors from whom we had been separated for decades.
The former inner-German border was only 50 kilometers from our city. We called it the death zone.
With the German reunification, Hamburg has got back its traditional hinterland.
The metropolitan region grew to over 5 million people, creating one of the most dynamic economic centers in Europe.
Baltic Sea trade through the Port of Hamburg flourished as our traditional links with Eastern Europe were re-established.
All this boosted the economy, science and culture, …
… and at the same time, the German reunification was a milestone in ending the Cold War and creating a united Europe that has thrived on good cooperation ever since.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The motto of the Day of German Unity in Hamburg was "Opening Horizons". It is also a fitting motto for this evening.
The fixed link across the Fehmarnbelt will soon bring the metropolitan regions of Hamburg and Öresund closer together and open up new horizons for the German-Danish partnership.
The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel is one of Europe's largest infrastructure projects.
It will create an economic area of more than 10 million people between Hamburg and Copenhagen – a size that counts on a global scale.
The fixed link will connect the entire STRING region from Oslo to Hamburg and close the last gap in the European transport networks between northern and southern Europe.
It is due to open in 2029, but we should start preparing now. Businesses, universities, research institutes, cultural institutions, the tourism industry…
… they all need to start thinking now about how they can take advantage of the many opportunities the new link will bring.
Hamburg and Denmark have a lot in common: both are pioneers in energy transition, sustainable mobility and climate protection.
Rankings show that Hamburg and Copenhagen are among the smartest cities in Europe.
A very interesting area of cooperation is the development of the hydrogen economy, a key sector of our future energy supply and industry.
Green hydrogen produced in Denmark will reach Germany via the new Hyperlink III pipeline. It will be available to Hamburg and the companies in our port, Germany's largest industrial area.
Hamburg is establishing itself as a leading hydrogen hub in Europe,
- with a 100-megawatt green hydrogen electrolyzer,
- Germanys first ammonia import terminal
- and a network of green hydrogen trade corridors with major ports around the world.
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
Hamburg and Denmark even have a common history:
At the beginning of the 18th century, our district of Altona did not belong to Hamburg, but to the Kingdom of Denmark – and it was the second largest Danish city after Copenhagen.
And we share a promising future for the Hamburg-Copenhagen-Malmö region.
Just yesterday, the Mayor of Malmö, Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, visited me in Hamburg and we talked about our cooperation in the coming years.
She also told me about plans to connect Copenhagen and Malmö with a new metro, creating Europe's first cross-border metro link.
This seems to be a great idea.
This reception is a great opportunity to make new contacts and develop new ideas to create a world-class business, scientific and cultural area in Northern Europe.
This is a great perspective for the future.
Let us talk about it and enjoy a wonderful evening together.
Thank you very much.
