Merkel Calls for Stronger NATO role

German Government, In the opening speech at the Munich Conference on Security Policy Chancellor Angela Merkel observed that NATO and the EU are the most successful security and value-based alliances in recent history. She said a country like Germany, with a population of 80 million, would never be able to deal with the challenges of the 21st century on its own, adding that NATO should be the prime forum for policy debates and the coordination of military action. 
 
“The erosion of government structures, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of unreliable regimes – these are just a few of the challenges and threats we are facing in our time,” Merkel said in her speech. 
 
Working together to deal with trouble spots 
 
As a result of globalization, the various parts of the world have become more closely linked with one another and it has become almost impossible to avoid being involved in some way in conflicts that occur elsewhere, Merkel noted, citing as examples reconstruction in Iraq, democratization in Afghanistan, and the Middle East peace process. 
 
Merkel expressed concern that Iran may be pursuing military objectives with its nuclear program, adding: “A president who denies Israel's right to exist and the Holocaust can't expect Germany to show even the slightest tolerance.” 
 
NATO the basis of Alliance policy 
 
She stressed that for the German government there is only one viable response to these global challenges, saying that Germany can address these dangers only in concert with its transatlantic partners. She noted that Germany is willing to assume greater responsibility, including participation in out-of-area missions. 
 
Prime forum for security policy coordination 
 
She said that NATO needs to adjust to changes that have taken place in the world so that it can continue to be a cohesive framework for transatlantic interests and values, adding that a permanent joint analysis of threats needs to be carried out in the NATO framework. 
 
She also said that NATO should be the prime forum for consultations on new trouble spots as well as for the coordination of military action. It is only if no agreement can be reached that other options should be considered. 
In her view, given scarce resources, the current broad range of NATO activities should be reviewed by 2008. The Alliance is carrying out a wide variety of missions that include peacekeeping, training, transport services, advisory services, disaster relief, and security at major sports events such as the 2006 World Cup. 
 
Germany a capable partner 
 
Merkel noted that Germany, too, is faced with a major task in helping to ensure that the transatlantic partnership preserves its ability to act. It needs to recover economic strength that will open up greater latitude for foreign and security policy action. 
 
At present Germany is doing its part in Afghanistan with a contingent of 2,500 soldiers. It has around 3,500 military personnel involved in reconstruction efforts in Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Germany has also assumed international responsibility in the Horn of Africa, Sudan, Southern Caucasus, and at the Rafah border crossing. 
 
A strong Europe for a strong transatlantic alliance 
 
Merkel noted that the process of European integration and the pursuit of a European security strategy are playing an important role in the Balkans, where it has been shown that holding out the prospect of EU membership at some time in the future is indispensable for us to be able to reduce our military presence. 
 
She indicated that NATO and the EU need security partners in other regions as well, adding that the large number of conflicts in the world underscores the need for a tight network of international cooperation. She urged support for regional organizations such as the African Union as well as stronger consultations with partners such as Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. 
 
Need for UN reform 
 
Merkel remarked that the United Nations, too, is called upon to do its part. She referred to the urgent need for UN reform to be carried out, in particular with regard to the Security Council, with a view to improving the ability of the organization to act as well as the effectiveness of its actions. 
 
She stressed that any international interventions must remain within the limits of international law: “Further development of international law must take place in the UN framework so that there is a legitimate basis, with broad support, on which it will be possible to respond to the entirely new challenges facing us in the 21st century.”  
 
Background Notes and Information: 
 
The Munich Conference on Security Policy looks back on a tradition of four decades. The international security community, now consisting of more than forty nations, has met annually in Munich since the early 1960s. Those who attend include armed forces personnel, military experts, ministers, legislators, and media representatives. Each year more than 250 participants come here to discuss transatlantic relations as well as European and global security. 
 
This international conference is a unique forum for the discussion of security and peace policy issues. In light of the global challenges being faced now, at the beginning of the 21st century, it provides key contributions in the process of shaping an international security architecture for the future