Germany praises McCain as advocate of a strong transatlantic partnership

Germany’s foreign minister praised Sen. John McCain hours after the Arizona Republican’s death, calling him a “convinced advocate of a strong and reliable transatlantic partnership.”

“[McCain] was a convinced advocate of a strong and reliable transatlantic partnership, especially in difficult times,” Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a tweet.

“He believed in our shared values and principles,” he added.{mosads}

“We will always remember his voice.”

FM @HeikoMaas: @SenJohnMcCain was a convinced advocate of a strong and reliable transatlantic partnership, especially in difficult times. He believed in our shared values and principles. We will always remember his voice.

— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) August 26, 2018

The tweet comes amid tensions between Washington and its European allies over President Trump’s trade policies.

Trump has fiercely defended his decision to impose steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, Mexico and the European Union (EU), among others, as well as billions of dollars in duties on Chinese goods. Each nation has responded with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products, prompting concerns of a global trade war.

The president announced an agreement with the head of the European Commission last month to restart negotiations over a trade deal between the EU and the U.S.

McCain, a six-term senator and former GOP presidential candidate, died Saturday at the age of 81. Although he was absent from the Senate this year, he continued to influence the debate in Washington.

In June, McCain slammed Trump’s trade policies, telling allies after the Group of Seven summit that “Americans stand with you, even if our president doesn’t.”