5000.1

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What do you think should foreign policy do about a country's economic interests abroad? Which economic interests?

Safe and free shipping on oceans? Overflight rights? Free access to markets? Protection of investments?

I've got an astonishing figure for you, and you might make you add something to the list:

Germany has EUR 5,000.1 billion outstanding debits as a nation.*

That's 200% of our gross domestic product (GDP).

The topic of access to more or less cheap crude oil is a joke in comparison to this.

5 trillion Euro assets - that's something that deserves attention (I don't think of violent forms of protection here!).

Sadly, the current Greek debt affair indicates that

(a) institutions were too dumb to invest this money wisely

(b) politicians are not determined to protect such assets

S O

* Gross, NOT net figure. See link page 7, no11, yr 2010.

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P.S.: