On September 16, the American Council on Germany (ACG), the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG), and the German Studies Association (GSA), held the first session in the "German Politics Today: Meet a Bundestag Member" series.

The first session featured Metin Hakverdi, Member of the Bundestag and Germany’s new Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation. He joined ACG President Dr. Steven E. Sokol for a 60-minute moderated discussion—held in German—on the importance of the transatlantic relationship, incorporating questions posed by the audience.

The transatlantic partnership is a key pillar of Germany’s foreign policy. The United States and Canada are Germany’s closest allies outside Europe. Large areas of common interests, shared challenges and fundamental values form a bond between our democracies on both sides of the Atlantic. How close transatlantic relations are is clear also from the multitude of societal and cultural contacts between Germany and the United States and Germany and Canada.