German Foreign Office Director-General Sabine Sparwasser hosted on Saturday a banquet in honor of Egypt'a Ambassador Mohamed Higazy who ends his tour of duty.

A host of senior German diplomats attended the event during which Sparwasser hailed Higazy's constant keenness over his tenure to communicate with all spectra of the German state and society.

His efforts to promote strategic relations between Cairo and Berlin were also lauded by the diplomat.

Addressing the event, Higazy reviewed challenges that Egypt faces after the January 25 and June 30 revolution.

He pointed out to a recent successful visit by President Abdel Fattah el Sisi to Germany.
A onetime Berlin resident, she said in retrospect that Berliners were lucky that the “peaceful, cheerful revolution” did not end in violence or bloodshed. Berlin once stood as a symbol of division, while the wall was still up; since it has crumbled, along with the Cold War, it is a symbol of hope, the unification of Europe, and demonstrates that “everything is possible and good things can happen,” added Sparwasser.

Kieker, for his part, was in Berlin during that time in 1989, and working in West Berlin as a reporter. He went to a pedestrian checkpoint at 11 p.m. at night on Nov. 9, 1989, and noticed nervous, tense guards on a watchtower communicating with supervisors. On the other side of the barrier, he heard shouts of “Open it up! Open it up!”
Source: MENA