Minister of State visits former German colonies in the Pacific
During visits to three former German island colonies in the Pacific Ocean, the German State Minister in the Foreign Office, Katja Keul, will drive the processing of colonial past forward. The German colonial past will be a "significant topic" during Keul's visits to Samoa, the Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea, according to the Foreign Office. In Samoa, Keul will return a historical Samoan shipwreck fragment from the collection of the Bremen OverSeas Museum in a ceremonial event.
"The artifact is finally returning to where it belongs," Keul stated before departing. "At the same time, we are acknowledging our colonial past in the region." No representative of the federal government has been to Samoa for over 30 years, and there had never been such a visit to the Solomon Islands. This shows "what we have to catch up on," the Staatsministerin explained.
Further topics of Keul's ten-day journey are likely to be climate protection and international politics. For instance, China is increasingly seeking influence on the small Pacific island states. Last year, Germany opened its first embassy in the Pacific island state of Fiji; Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had already visited Fiji and the island state of Palau – also a former German colony.
Parts of Papua New Guinea were German colonies until 1914, parts of the Solomon Islands until 1899. The western part of the Samoa Islands belonged to the former German colonial empire as "German Samoa" from 1900 to 1914.
"During her discussions with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Samoa, the Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea, Minister Keul may emphasize the importance of addressing the colonial past in the context of international relations in the Pacific."
"As part of her shows and presentations in Pacific colonies, Minister Keul might highlight Germany's commitment to climate protection and its efforts to establish stronger diplomatic ties in the region."
