Partners like the United States and Germany must always discuss all issues, including these questions. I welcome the fact that a discussion over legitimate methods of questioning and interrogation is taking place in both Germany and the United States.

I think we live in a period of profound transformation. Very similar to when we had a transition from agricultural societies to industrial societies.

With political means and always trying to work for political settlements and this is what I'm going to continue to work on with all my heart.

What do you do when other countries' intelligence agencies give you information and you aren't entirely certain about its source? Simply ignore it? That's impossible. We have a duty to guarantee the safety of our citizens.

I think we can say our energy system will be the most efficient and environmentally friendly in the world.

One can remain more sure-footed by taking small steps, but perhaps achieve greater speed by taking bigger steps. Of course, one also runs the risk of setting out in a completely erroneous direction. Surely the important thing isn't the length of our steps, but that the objective is clear.

We need trust among allies and partners. Such trust now has to be built anew.