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For four days, German and American lawmakers gathered in San Diego, California, to participate in the third annual Congress–Bundestag Forum, where they renewed and deepened contacts with each other and shared knowledge about political processes on both sides of the Atlantic.   With the aim of improving transatlantic dialogue and cooperation, 12 members of the German Bundestag — representing the Free Democratic, Socialist Democratic, and Green parties — and 5 bipartisan members of the U.S. Congress took part in the Feb. 24–26 conference, organized by GMF and the Robert Bosch Foundation.  In keeping with the Forum’s original spirit, a majority of participants were returning for their second or third time since the inaugural meeting in 2004.   The Forum began with a lively session on domestic security concerns, as participants gauged about how prepared the United States and Germany are for new risks, such as energy shortages, global pandemics, and natural catastrophes.  The group then talked about political campaigns and fundraising in both countries.  Kailash Joshi, advisor to Satyam Computer Service, Ltd., and former general manager of IMB Lexington, KY, delivered a keynote address the first evening on the importance of global economic cooperation.   On the second day of the Forum, participants toured the U.S.–Mexican border and the local U.S. Customs facility.  There they learned about new initiatives to increase border security.  The group returned to the conference site and continued to discuss demographics, immigration, and integration in Europe and the United States, and also on trade and economic issues related to borders.   The next Congress–Bundestag Forum is planned for 2007 in Germany.