On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Germany as you celebrate the Day of German Unity on October 3.

I will always have a personal connection to Germany.  When my father served in Berlin as a Foreign Service Officer after World War II, I learned to speak German and came to love the culture, architecture, and beauty of the country.

Just last year, on my first trip abroad as Secretary, I returned to Berlin and walked its streets – past the Reichstag, past the Brandenburg Gate.  I marveled not just at the miles Germany has traveled, but at the journey we have traveled together since the fall of the Berlin Wall almost twenty five years ago.

Today, the ties that bind the United States and Germany remain stronger than ever.  Our partnership is critical for promoting security and stability in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and beyond.  Germany is our largest trading partner in Europe, and we look forward to deepening those ties as we work together for an ambitious Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

On this anniversary, we give thanks for Germany’s many contributions to the prosperity and security of Europe and to the wider world.