German political and business leaders will be in attendance to provide insight. I ll look specifically at the history of German relations with East Europe, which until recently has been a pretty negative relationship. In recent decades the Germans have tried very hard to turn this into a positive relationship. What is so interesting is that German leaders argue over and over again that they stand for a European identity, which is a break from Germany s past. They now stand for a European identity.
Many people say that s a smoke screen based on Germany s history.
I argue that the Germans are sincere about their interest in a European identity, which is a very important change in recent history. Germany is a country that went from being the most destructive in the world to trying to be the most constructive. And let s face it, since World War II Germany has become one of the most prosperous countries in the world. So, they really have learned the negative lessons of an aggressive foreign policy and the positive lessons of a cooperative foreign policy, which is security and prosperity. And they re determined not to go back to their former path.