It feels good that in a difficult hour like this that we're standing so closely together, dear Francois, I'd like to say a heartfelt 'thank you' in the name of millions of Germans who appreciate this German Franco friendship.

These days it is necessary to say this clearly. Because we are experiencing worrying racism, increasing intolerance, a wave of hate crime, we pay particular attention to anti Semitism, which threatens Jewish life in Germany, in Europe and beyond.

I have the impression that the country is in a phase of change and that a lot more is possible now than some years ago, but it’s still a long way away from having achieved what we would understand as equality.

It is not about more or less Europe but about delivering better results, our citizens often don't understand why we are doing something and what our goals are. All of us want to change this. It is not about changing the EU Treaty, about introducing more laws or less. It's about delivering on our goals.

The American president demanded what has been discussed for months, that there is a change in the burden sharing, i made clear that we are on this path. And that this is in our own interests and that it will make us stronger.

That I, as German chancellor, can be here today, that today we stand together for peace and freedom, is a gift from history that must be cared for and protected.

Only our own strength, a strong conservative party, can prevent Red Red Green from taking power at the federal level in 2017.

We have had to witness a shifting of borders in Europe, the annexation of Crimea and the questioning of territorial integrity – a core part of Europe's post war model. The apparent right of whoever is strongest trumped the strength of law, russia has breached and is still breaching international law...neighboring states are suddenly no longer partner countries but spheres of influence.

It ... goes without saying that we stress to Turkey, for example, the importance of freedom of the press (and) the freedom of the Kurds, as important as the necessary fight against ... terror is, (Turkey must take a measured) approach ... for all Kurds.

It ... goes without saying that we stress to Turkey, for example, the importance of freedom of the press (and) the freedom of the Kurds, as important as the necessary fight against the PKK's terror is, (Turkey must take a measured) approach ... for all Kurds.

The values that Europe is based on freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, human rights these are not to be taken for granted.

These deep differences of opinion relate to basic questions of democracy and the rule of law. They relate to freedom of expression in Turkey. They also relate to the many journalists that have been jailed for expressing their opinion.

Too often, the lines of freedom of speech are very deliberately being tested, and taboos are carelessly being breached and used as a political instrument, it's not banter, rather it's playing with fire. Because whoever sows violence with words, risks reaping violence.

We have freedom to demonstrate in Germany, but there is no place for incitement and insulting people who come to us from other countries.

The G7 and former G8 group has always viewed itself as a community of values, the annexation of Crimea, which is a blatant violation of the principles of international law, and the events in eastern Ukraine are serious violations of these common values.