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Welcome to the Australian Embassy, Berlin

Australia and Germany are celebrating 60 years of full diplomatic relations in 2012 - Foreign Minister Rudd visiting Berlin on 25 January
Please see further details on our German language site

Historical document:
Statement by the Minister for External Affairs, the Rt. Hon. R.G. Casey, 28 January 1952

Op-ed:
Australia Germany - Close Friends and Global Citizens - Looking Beyond 60

Youtube-Video:
Australia and Germany - celebrating 60 years of formal diplomatic relations

Events:
Second Australian-German Science Circle, Berlin 2 Feb. 2012
 

Foreign Minister Rudd at the Munich Security Conference 2012

Text of remarks delivered by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Rudd, at a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference, 4 February 2012, on the theme "America, Europe and the Rise of Asia".

Foreign Minister Rudd (2nd from right) participating in the panel discussion on "America, Europe and the Rise of Asia" at the Munich Security Conference, 4 February 2012, with fellow panellists (from left) Dr Henry Kissinger, Chinese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Zhang Zhijun, US Senator John McCain, Singaporean Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and EU Commissioner Michel Barnier. (Photo: Wolfgang Weber)

Mr Rudd and his German counterpart Dr Westerwelle at a joint press conference in Berlin, 25 January 2012. (Photo: Auswärtiges Amt / German Foreign Office)

Transcript of joint press conference

Australia has a warm and significant bilateral relationship with Germany. We have wide-ranging dialogue and cooperation with Germany, which ranks ninth among Australia's trading partners. We have a strong and expanding investment relationship. Germany is Australia's fifth largest source of foreign direct investment and Australia's fourth largest investment destination.

Germany has been a significant source of migrants to Australia. Germans and Australians have wide-ranging interest in each other's culture. Australia is one of the most popular overseas destinations for German tourists and students. The Government is keen to expand existing links with Germany, including in traditional and new commercial spheres.

Australians travelling to Germany

Please see the current travel advisory for Germany from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at www.smartraveller.gov.au. 

Applications for the AGA-Goethe Institut Fellowship for 2012 now open. Click here for more details.

Queensland State General Election (24 March 2012) and Queensland Local Government Election (28 April 2012):
There will be no 'in-person' pre-poll voting at Australian embassies. Any elector who wants to apply for a postal vote in the Queensland State General Election or the Queensland Local Government Election should complete the 'Applications for a Ballot Paper' (Form 12) which is available on the Electoral Commission of Queensland's website www.ecq.qld.gov.au. If electors do not have internet access, a copy of the 'Application for a Ballot Paper' form can be collected from the Australian Embassy, Wallstrasse 76-79, 10179 Berlin.
The form must be completed by the elector and either faxed by the elector to: +61 7 3036 5770 or scanned and emailed by the elector to: cpv@ecq.qld.gov.au as soon as possible. For the State Election the form must be returned no later than 6pm (Queensland time) on Thursday 22 March 2012. For the Local Government Election the form must be returned no later than 6pm (Queensland time) on Wednesday 25 April 2012.
If an elector wishes to vote for both elections, they MUST complete and return an application form for EACH event.
Note that the email and fax details written on the actual Form 12 'Application for a Ballot Paper' are different to those listed above. This is because the details above are specifically for overseas electors.

Current News

For latest news available from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, please see www.dfat.gov.au

Australia - Candidate for the United Nations Security Council 2013-14

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Appointment of Australian Honorary Consul in Zurich, Switzerland

"We will complete our mission of training and transition"
Parliamentary statement by the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, delivered on 21 November announcing that Australia will begin negotiations with the Afghan Government on a long-term partnership framework.

Australia works with World Food Programme to save lives in the Horn of Africa
The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister announced the Government will provide $20 million in additional emergency humanitarian support for the 11.6 million people affected by the looming catastrophe in the Horn of Africa.

NAIDOC Week 2011
NAIDOC celebrations are held around Australia in July each year to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year it will be from 3 to 10 July, with the theme 'Change: the next step is ours'.
Events held in Berlin:
5 July: Talk by Professor Ly McCredden at the Australian Embassy
7 July: Screening of the film 'Bran Nue Dae', introduced by Professor Anne Haebich

Matildas Playing in the FIFA World Cup
The Australian women's football team, the Matildas, are playing in Mönchengladbach, Bochum and Leverkusen in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Ambassador Peter Tesch attended the team's first match against Brasil on 29 June and met supporters and Football Australia officials.

Australia Signs a Tax Information Exchange Agreement with Liechtenstein 
Ambassador Peter Tesch and Liechtenstein Head of Government Klaus Tschütscher signed the bilateral agreement on 21 June 2011 in Vaduz.

Australia and Germany Drive Cooperation in Resource and Energy Sectors
Australia and Germany have committed to increased cooperation in the resource and energy sectors from greater investment through to closer collaboration in research and development (R&D).
 
Australian and German Foreign Ministers Open the Largest Business Technology Event in the Asia Pacific
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on 31 May opened CeBIT Australia, the largest annual business technology event in the Asia Pacific region. 

Australian-German Collaboration in Radio Astronomy
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster collaboration between the Fraunhofer Institute of Solar Energy, the Max Plank Institute for Radio Astronomy and CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science was signed on 7 April 2011 in Berlin during a workshop on 'Renewable Energy Concepts for Mega-Science Projects demonstrated by the SKA and its Pathfinders'. A key focus of this MoU is to promote scientific and research cooperation in renewable energy capture, storage and management for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) between Australia and experts from Germany and the rest of the world. The MOU also looks to advance collaboration between Fraunhofer ISE, the Max Plank Institute for Radio Astronomy and CSIRO on the development of renewable energy systems for the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) and the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) instrument as an SKA precursor facility.

Pictured front row left to right Prof. Eicke R. Weber (Director Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE), Dr Brian Boyle (SKA Director Australia/New Zealand, The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), Prof. Michael Kramer (Director, Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy) / back row left to right Ambassador Peter Tesch, Nicola Watkinson (Austrade, Frankfurt), Jason Shea (Australian Embassy Berlin) - photo: Phil Crosby (CSIRO)

Australia and Germany Strengthen Solar Research Ties
The Australian Government is further strengthening its support for research and development into solar technologies by increasing its international collaboration through a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Germany. In Germany today, 16 March, the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr (pictured below right) signed the MoU between the Australian Solar Institute (ASI) and the Deutches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) - Germany's national research centre for aeronautics and space, represented by DLR Board Member Professor Ulrich Wagner (below left).

Australian Embassy Celebrating Centenary of International Women's Day

Germany named as CeBIT Australia 2011 Inaugural Partner Country
Germany will be the inaugural Partner Country for this year's CeBIT Australia exhibition and conference, which runs from 31 May until 2 June in Sydney. It was also announced that German Deputy Chancellor and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle will travel to Australia and officially open CeBIT Australia.
Further details: see Deutsche Messe AG press release.

Lily wins the Crystal Bear for Best Short Film at Berlin International Film Festival
Australian short film Lily has been awarded the prestigious Crystal Bear Award for Best Short Film in Generation K Plus at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival.

Ambassador Peter Tesch with film producer Jan Chapman (left), a member of the International Jury of this year's Berlin International Film Festival, and Dale Fairbairn, Screen Australia, at a reception celebrating Australia's participation in Berlinale 2011.

Remarks by The Hon Kevin Rudd MP, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, at reception hosted by H.E. Mr Michael Witter, Ambassador of The Federal Republic of Germany on the occasion of the concert of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney, 20 Nov 2010

Australian film 'Franswa Sharl' winning award at 26th International Short Film Festival Berlin
Bester Kurzfilm für Jugendliche (Publikumspreis) / Best film for youth (audience award) : Untertitelung in bis zu drei Sprachen im Wert von 1.000 € von Samson & Fritaud Text/ Subtitling in up to three languages valued at €1000 from Samson & Fritaud Text : FRANSWA SHARL: Regie / Director: Hannah Hilliard, Australia, 2009, 13:53min 

Australian Historian Receiving Prestigious German Award
German Federal President Christian Wulff will present the 'Preis des Historischen Kollegs' to Christopher Clark on 5 November 2010.

Prime Minister and New Ministry Sworn In
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her Ministry were sworn in on 14 September 2010. Portfolio Ministers of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are the Minister for Foreign Affairs, The Hon Kevin Rudd MP, and the Minister for Trade, The Hon Dr Craig Emerson MP.

Ceramic Fuel Cells receives prestigious German Innovation Award
Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited - a leading developer of high-efficiency low-emission electricity generation units for homes and other buildings - has been awarde the prestigious NRW:INVEST Award for 2010, by the Government of North-Rhine Westphalia in Germany.

Australia and New Zealand forge a cosmic connection
Six radio telescopes across Australia and New Zealand have joined forces to act as one giant telescope, linking up over a distance of 5500 km for the first time. The link-up was a collaboration between CSIRO's Astronomy and Space Science division, the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research at Curtin University of Technology in Western Australia, and AUT University in New Zealand. //
Further information and images are available from the CSIRO website.

Germany and Australia Deepen Cooperation in Viet Nam
German Development Minister Dirk Niebel and Australia’s Deputy Director General of AusAID, Richard Moore, signed a partnership declaration on deepening their development cooperation.

NICTA and Fraunhofer Researchers Combine Forces
NICTA (National Information and Communications Technology Australia) has signed a five-year agreement with the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering (IESE) to establish the Fraunhofer Project Group on Transport and Logistics at NICTA’s Sydney laboratory.

Australian Solar Institute forges stronger collaboration with prestigious Fraunhofer Institute
The Australian Solar Institute (ASI) has established new ties with a leading European solar research body to accelerate solar power development. A memorandum of understanding was signed in Canberra on 18 February 2010 between the ASI and the Fraunhofer Institute, Europe’s largest research institution.