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German Parliamentary State Secretary Thomas Silberhorn joins the Atlantic Council to discuss Germany’s agenda for European defense initiatives during its EU Presidency, the country’s current operations abroad from Afghanistan to Mali, and transatlantic security cooperation. The conversation will also include US-German defense relations and cooperation on several significant procurement projects as well as time for Q&A with registered participants.

The Future Europe Initiative and Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s Transatlantic Security Initiative are excited to welcome Thomas Silberhorn, Parliamentary State Secretary with the German Federal Ministry of Defense for a public conversation on “Germany’s Role in the Future of Transatlantic Defense.” With Germany now in the presidency of the Council of the European Union, State Secretary Silberhorn is joining the Atlantic Council for a discussion of Germany’s key defense priorities for the EU during its six-month term as well as its approach to ongoing operations such as in Afghanistan and Iraq. State Secretary Silberhorn will also address critical areas of US-German defense cooperation including major procurement projects. 

A Member of the German Bundestag, Thomas Silberhorn has served as Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Defence since 2018. In this capacity, he assists the Federal Minister of Defence in the parliamentary and political representation of the interests of the Directorates-General concerned with equipment, including international armaments policy, planning, budget and controlling, legal affairs, infrastructure, environmental protection and services. He also represents the Federal Minister of Defence in the corresponding committees of the German Bundestag, in particular in the Budget Committee and Audit Committee. Previously, he was Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development (2014-2018). He has been a Member of the Bundestag since 2002, is a leading figure of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group, and was a member of the working group on foreign policy during the coalition negotiations after the 2017 federal elections.

Please join us on Monday, July 27, 2020 from 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. (EDT) / 22:00 hrs to 22:45 hrs (CEST) via Zoom. In order to participate in the call, please register below. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join.

Featuring

Mr. Thomas Silberhorn
Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Defence
Member of the German Bundestag