New German Leader Signals Change

Chancellor Merkel Wants 'Close, Honest, Open' Relationship With U.S.

(AP)  She stressed that "we will be not be silent on human rights violations with anyone in the world" — a comment that appeared aimed in part at China and Russia, with which Schroeder also pursued close relations.

Addressing the kidnapping crisis, Merkel said nothing was yet known about the motives behind the attack on German aid worker Susanne Osthoff, who disappeared Friday. The kidnappers have threatened to kill Osthoff and her Iraqi driver unless Germany halts all contacts with the Iraqi government.

"This government, this parliament, will not let ourselves be blackmailed," Merkel said.

Closer to home, Merkel's speech reflected her skepticism about Turkey's bid to join the European Union, even as she stuck to the coalition line of support for membership talks.

The negotiations "are a process with an open end ... whose outcome cannot be guaranteed in advance," she said. Merkel added that any country hoping to join the EU "must fulfill all the conditions without restriction."

She said the bloc's continuing expansion raises "fundamental questions: how far does Europe reach and what is the purpose of European unification?"

To bolster that unification, Merkel said Germany will help solve the EU's crisis over its constitution and future budget — though she warned that the country would not overburden itself financially to do so.

The problem can be solved only "with our neighbors, our partners — and that means the big ones and the small ones," she said, adding that Germany should be "a mediator and balancing factor."

Merkel already has visited France and Britain as well as EU and NATO headquarters. She is due Friday in Poland.

Warsaw was irritated by Schroeder's close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the two leaders' decision to build a gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea, bypassing Poland.

Merkel said Germany would continue efforts with France and Britain to deal with Iran's nuclear program. Her foreign minister said he hoped Iran would be "clever enough" to engage in serious talks.

"The patience of those negotiating and who have many rounds of talks behind them is finite," Steinmeier said.