New US Ambassador Arrives in Germany

William Robert Timken, a generous donor to US President George W. Bush's re-election campaign, arrived in Germany on Wednesday as incoming US ambassador. Timken succeeds Dan Coats, who served as ambassador to Germany from 2001 until his departure in February 2005. He said in a brief statement on arrival that the United States and Germany had "forged a strong and effective partnership that has contributed greatly to the peace and security of Europe" in the 50 years since West Germany was accepted into NATO. "Even today as I speak, Americans and Germans are working side by side to promote stability in Afghanistan, to promote sustainable development in Africa, and put an end to the Israeli-Palestinian confict," he said.