Farewell Celebration of Consul General Pauline Kao in Cologne

“It is only through togetherness that we can solve anything” – this was how US Consul General Pauline Kao appealed to the audience in her speech on the future of German-American relations. She encouraged the 80 or so guests who had gathered at the Fritz Thyssen Foundation in Cologne on 11 June at the invitation of AmerikaHaus NRW to do everything in their power to promote the transatlantic partnership.

On the occasion of her farewell, Consul General Kao reflected on her three-year term of office in NRW, which was characterised by several cross-border crises, such as Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and Hamas’ attack on Israel. Despite the difficult times, Kao emphasised that cohesion between the USA and Germany and also within the EU had never been stronger and that she was optimistic about the future. During her time in office, she had witnessed time and again that transatlantic relations were being revitalised at a sub-national level – as the current NRW-USA Year made clear.

Regardless of the election results in November, it is important to remember that both nations share the same values: Freedom, democracy and the rule of law. These shared values must always be kept in mind, even if people are sometimes discouraged, said Kao. She would like to see more recognition for the joint efforts and emphasised that criticism should be voiced, but at the same time support should be offered. Instead of focusing on our differences, we should rather try to recognise what we can contribute to a productive community despite – or even because of – these differences. Against the backdrop of the EU parliamentary elections, Kao concluded by calling for more collective, civic engagement. It is not enough to leave the big tasks to the politicians alone; in a democracy, it depends on the commitment of all of us.

The outgoing Consul General’s speech was met with great approval and nods of agreement from the guests. One thing quickly became clear from the numerous questions: Pauline Kao’s expertise, passion and confidence are greatly appreciated and will be missed in the future. Dr Ingo Wolf, Chairman of the Board of AmerikaHaus NRW e.V., also thanked her for her tireless commitment to transatlantic relations. Consul General Kao was emotional about her imminent departure and emphasised that her strong ties to Germany would nevertheless remain.