Steve Rotheram welcomes German Ambassador to Liverpool

Mayor Steve Rotheram has welcomed German Ambassador Miguel Berger to help strengthen existing trading and cultural links with Germany, which is one of the city region’s most important international trading partners.

Germany is the second largest international market for exports of good and services from the city region and the most important partner in terms of imports. The city region also has long-standing civic twinning links with cities and areas in Germany.

Whilst in the city region, the Ambassador also took a walking tour of the historic waterfront, before visits to the iiCon Incubator at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and SciTech Daresbury, and meeting the Liverpool City Region Freeport team. Ambassador Berger also met political leaders from across the Liverpool City Region at a dinner in his honour.

Mayor Steve Rotheram said:

“It was wonderful to welcome Ambassador Berger on what was, hopefully, the first of many visits to our region as we continue to strengthen our special relationship with Germany.

“Our area has always prided itself on being an open and outward-facing place, that’s not only a great place to visit – but to invest in too. With an already established reputation as a global leader in science and innovation, and a £3bn pipeline of projects on the horizon, there’s never been a more exciting time to invest here.

“Germany is already a really important trading partner for our area – but I want to do even better. I’m looking forward to forging an even stronger, more prosperous future for our two areas.”

Ambassador Miguel Berger said:

“Germany and the Liverpool City Region have close ties. Germany remains the region’s second biggest international trading partner for goods and services exports (£596m) and the biggest for imports (£910m). Close to 30 German companies are operating within the city region. It was an honour to visit Liverpool to witness these thriving connections. Many thanks to Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram for the kind invitation.

“I very much enjoyed seeing some of the region’s many scientific and economic strengths: from iiCON’s innovative work on fighting infectious diseases at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, to meeting the Liverpool City Region Freeport Team, to finding out more about the region’s innovative Sci Tech Daresbury.”

The Liverpool City Region has significant and long-standing civic twinning links ith Germany: between Cologne and Liverpool; Stuttgart and St Helens; Moers and Knowsley; and Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Berlin and Halton. St Helens and Stuttgart are celebrating the 75th anniversary of their link next year.

Find out more about the Liverpool City Region here.