German Chancellor Angela Merkel chats with Maldives' President Mohamed Nasheed during a welcome ceremony in Berlin, March 8, 2010.

BK'IN MERKEL: Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased that the president of the republic of the Maldives, Mohammed Nasheed, is today with us. It is for the first time as a president in Berlin. It told me that it already was during its study in Great Britain in at that time still divided Berlin. I am pleased much.

The president crowned one, would like I to say, courageous journey through life by his choice to the Maldivian president. It is this since 2008 and thereby also a very new way for the Maldives hit: to more democratization and more rights for all humans. We spoke today, on the international woman day, about the fact that the naturally straight is important for women also.

We believe that the way, which the Maldives put back is a very hopeful way, and we wish thereby any support naturally to the Maldivian president. We also what can do Germany, in addition will contribute.

I think that our economical contacts are quite close thereby that many humans know the Maldives as a tourism goal, but that our co-operation thereby should not be terminated yet. That is, that we can find also still further ways of co-operation.

We spoke very in detail about the situation in the region and also the topic Afghanistan touched. The Maldives have exactly the same as the Federal Republic of Germany an interest to the fact that the development of Afghanistan presents itself hopeful. We know, straight, if it concerns Islamic terrorism, like are closely the region ‑ Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and naturally also the Maldives ‑ connected also.

We spoke the naturally also completely substantially about topic climate protection. The Federal Republic of Germany, the European union and the Maldives as well as all small island states are allied in the fight against the climate change. We evaluated again the negotiations in Copenhagen and arrived at the conviction that we must advance. The result of Copenhagen was disappointing. But straight for a country like the Maldives is to be felt the climate change completely very closely. Therefore it is our common responsibility to precede here. For this reason we committed ourselves also to support despite the not sufficient results of Copenhagen the process together toward Mexico and the continuation of the negotiations. We know ourselves thereby on a common line.

We wish the Maldives that the representation on the international tourism stock exchange will be successful for the country. We hope that itself despite the economic crisis and also the concerns of many humans straight in Germany regarding its, how it stands around its job many humans decide to experience their vacation nevertheless in your country.

We thank you completely cordially for this visit, which is of us an important indication of the solidarity, and wish you with your courageous Herangehen all property for the further way of your country!

P NASHEED: Cordial thanks, Mrs. Bundeskanzlerin, for whom very friendly words as well as for the words of the encouragement, which you gave, to Mrs. Bundeskanzlerin us and me personally, in addition, for the support, which gave us the Federal Republic of Germany altogether during the democratization process on the Maldives.

In the last three to four years we, that are we a predominantly Muslim society, developed political parties. The public had to be interested to be interested at all in politics. It gave the first free and same elections, and it gave also a smooth transition regarding the seizure of power. We could strengthen this process of the democratization further and do also further.

I was called expert specialists in the study of Islam from Germany opposite the Federal Chancellor also said that we show up much interested in it, with us welcome. I inquired, and seems to you perhaps strangely, but there are here prominent specialists in the study of Islam. At many universities in Germany that becomes already since that 19. Century and also further in a scholarly manner. There is here a great many knowledge within the range of the Islamic legislation. German by the way was the first language, into which the Koran was abroad translated. We would have it very gladly, if more German to us came and develop the straight Islamic jurisprudence, our juridical system, together with us. Whereupon one does not come naturally as the all first, if one mentions the word Scharia, but we are a more tolerant country, a freer country, and which we would like to hold also further in such a way. So that we can ensure that remains in such a way, we need evenly support of all. I am sure me that in the academic world ‑ tomorrow evening I will meet here with representatives of the citizens of Berlin universities ‑ quite interest in such a co-operation exist. I will pursue this point anyhow seriously together with them.

I would like to thank the population very cordially here in the country and also the Federal Chancellor for the extremely constructional role, which played the Federal Chancellor in this difficult negotiation situation straight in the early morning hours. Also I was in the round of the states present, in which we tried, a negotiating position festzuklopfen. That was naturally unfortunately no result, with which we could be content. They were not content, I were not content. But nevertheless we reached something. This limited success could we at all only obtain ‑ that a daily also in history will be in such a way noted ‑, because the Federal Chancellor supported the small island states so effectively. That was a nearly romantic gesture on the part of the chancellor, and I must thank her again completely cordially for it.

The Maldives are Germans for you no more strange country. 250.000 was on the Maldives. They come again and again to us. In the last 30 years it gave again and again tourists from Germany, who came to us. We would like naturally that the tourists come also further. The ITB is, thinks I, for it a very good forum. I will also visit this fair.

As the Federal Chancellor already said, Afghanistan for us is a very serious topic. The Islamic radicalism is a serious topic for us, which we must take care of, where it arises. We have the luck that German troops are in Afghanistan locally, and we would like naturally that your troops can return sometime also once. Nobody of us would like that there is bloodshed there. I think that it can also actually come to agreements. Discussions can be led, and I hope that these will then be crowned also sometime with success.

I always am for the fact that one turns on also against all resistances. The fact that I stand here today in this function, shows that one can turn on quite approximately resistances and quite win can, even if the things look completely differently. That will, hope I, also in the question of the climate change like that to be. - Again cordial thanks, Mrs. Bundeskanzlerin, for this cordial welcome also on the part of the German population!

QUESTION: , As you estimate Mrs. Bundeskanzlerin the chances for the fact that still in this year a climatic protection agreement will come, particularly since Yvo de Boer said that will not any longer fold.

BK'IN MERKEL: Who said that?

ACCLAMATION: Yvo de Boer!

BK'IN MERKEL: Now is it no longer there, which I regret; that is unfortunate.

With the chances is it always like that: I will work for the fact that we advance. The question is: What for an agreement can we reach? We have a structural problem, which one must designate completely seriously. This structural problem is that both India and China binding obligations do not want to be received. In India there is in addition a vote of parliament, which will have a very much binding effect. Thus we will have ourselves to consider, what we up to the meeting in Mexico to create to be able.

The starting point is for me only once: What did the individual countries announce as efforts regarding the reduction goals, which want to reach them to 2020? - We must determine in this connection simply: More countries announced themselves, than there was that ever. 80 per cent of the CO2-Emittenten their message with the UN climate secretary's office delivered. But these messages are sufficient not at all, in order to reach in the year 2050 the branch wheel goal. Thus our main focus must be now only once on the question, how we can come this branch wheel goal more near, and then must we far obligations binding at the question after Kyoto work. I believe, which first part can we in this year make progress with. Concerning the second part I can make still no statement. Germany will enter the European union further for binding goals, also. But whether we can convince within eight or nine months India and China of it, I do not know. In any case everything must be done for the fact that the climatic process is not stopped; because that would be completely bad.

P NASHEED: I would add gladly that the topic is completely clear. If the Federal Chancellor and its position will not undermine, then we will be able to obtain an agreement. That will not happen perhaps in this year. But I may not become in my own interest and in the interest of my country ‑ we here as country simply to survive, if there should not be agreement ‑ the German population again cordially to call and for it ask: Please do not undermine the efforts of the Federal Chancellor! See that you create a situation, in which them can also really work and into this work are also really productive! - I saw, how productive she can be then. Naturally the success of the thing will depend also on the fact that the Federal Chancellor can really make their work. Therefore I would like to ask you not to undermine its work. We would like gladly that them can work us further supported and further on it.

BK'IN MERKEL: They do not need to make itself around the Germans concerns; those are thereby much supporting active. Climate protection is with us a topic, which enjoys a broad support. The Germans will thus hold me to few from it. If you procure Asia as it were completely, then I procure Europe!

P NASHEED: Which concerns India ‑ the Federal Chancellor has India mentioned ‑, thinks I already that we will get the Indian to the fact that they agree most of that, for which we ask them also. I am really quite confident that the Indian will get still the curve.

BK'IN MERKEL: Well, then we continue to work for climate protection!
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