Sigmar Gabriel
The new foreign Minister of Germany, Sigmar Gabriel, has cancelled a visit to Brussels due to a virus. It is reported by Bild.
According to the publication, the Minister is seriously ill — he caught the virus from her daughter. The visit was canceled two hours before departure.
It was planned that in Brussels, Gabriel will meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and high representative of the Union for foreign Affairs and security policy Federica Mogherini.
This visit was supposed to be the second for Gabriel, as the head of the foreign Ministry: on Saturday, January 28, he had already visited Paris.
Sigmar Gabriel was appointed head of the German diplomatic corps on Friday, January 27. He said he intends to maintain the continuity of foreign policy: Germany will remain committed to the principle of the unity of Europe will continue to focus on the Transatlantic partnership with the US and will practice a multi-pronged approach to international problems. Gabriel also commented on the growing influence of populist parties and movements in Europe. He noted that they are exploiting the fears of the population, promising to reconsider the priorities in domestic and foreign policy, and stated that trust them would be a big mistake.