On January 15, 2013, GMF’s Berlin office hosted Transatlantic Fellow Dr. Daniel Kliman who presented the Global Swing States report at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, the Federal Foreign Office and at a lunch discussion. The meetings at the ministries were attended by high-level staffers; the luncheon featured think tankers, Bundestag staffers, and staffers from the Federal Chancellery and the Federal Foreign Office. At the luncheon, Dr. Clemens von Goetze, director general for Africa, Asia, Latin America, Near and Middle East at the Federal Foreign Office provided the audience with a response to Dr. Kliman’s presentation, highlighting the changing world order, China’s role in the international order, and the future of the transatlantic relationship.

The discussions at the ministries and the lunch event focused on how the United States and Europe can engage with the global swing states and what effects this might have on the relationship with China. Other topics discussed were the concept and methodology of the Global Swing States project, how Germany has interacted with Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Turkey thus far, and the reactions in the swing states after the report was published.