In this interview excerpt, Paul Mertz, a Luxembourg diplomat from 1964 to 1998, describes how he returned to politics in 2005 for the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union. During the Presidency, he chaired the ‘Persian Gulf’ group and was responsible for preparations for a ministerial meeting between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council that took place in Bahrain in April 2005. He goes on to discuss the talks with Iran on the nuclear issue and their impact on cooperation between the European Union Member States in this area.

In this interview excerpt, Paul Mertz, a Luxembourg diplomat from 1964 to 1998, describes the development of Luxembourg’s role in the European Union and identifies future prospects. He also discusses the changing structures in the Luxembourg Foreign Ministry.

In this interview excerpt, Paul Mertz, a Luxembourg diplomat from 1964 to 1998, discusses the role of Luxembourg Ambassadors stationed abroad and emphasises the importance of this position, particularly with regard to safeguarding and developing Luxembourg’s economic interests. He also stresses how vital it is for Luxembourg to have an extensive consular network.

In this interview excerpt, Paul Mertz, a Luxembourg diplomat from 1964 to 1998, explains that when he returned to politics in 2005 and 2006, he was involved in negotiations on behalf of Luxembourg to make the information contained in the archives of the International Tracing Service (ITS), based in Bad Arolsen, available for historical research. The ITS is a centre for documentation, information and research on Nazi persecution, forced labour and the Holocaust.