NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked Germany on Thursday (1 December 2022) for its ”significant contributions to our Alliance,” stressing that German leadership ”is more important than ever as we face the most serious security situation in decades.”
The Secretary General is visiting Berlin after the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Bucharest, where Allies pledged to sustain their support for Ukraine, and continue to bolster NATO’s own deterrence and defence. Mr Stolenberg thanked Germany for its strong support for Ukraine and for playing “a critical role” in strengthening Allied defences, including through its historic decision to substantially increase defence spending. He stressed that a strong and ready Bundeswehr, with high-end capabilities across all domains, as well as a robust defence industry matter for Germany’s security, Europe’s security, and global security.
The Secretary General was speaking at the Berlin Security Conference organised by the Behördern Spiegel in partnership this year with Norway. The conference included participation from the German Chancellor and Norwegian Prime Minister, as well as the Danish, Finnish, German and Norwegian Ministers of Defence.