NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was in Berlin to attend the meetings of EU foreign and defence ministers. "I think the fact that the NATO Secretary General attends routinely is a very good sign, also for cooperation between European defence policy and NATO," stressed Chancellor Angela Merkel in a statement to the press before her meeting with Jens Stoltenberg.

The meeting between Angela Merkel and the NATO Secretary General was to focus above all on the tensions between Turkey and Greece in the Eastern Mediterranean. Both states are NATO members, which makes it all the more urgent to resolve the tensions peacefully. "Germany has worked hard to help de-escalate the situation," said Angela Merkel.

They also wanted to discuss further developments in Afghanistan. It is a question of finding a political response that will bring peace and security to Afghanistan. Belarus was another point on the agenda of Angela Merkel and Jens Stoltenberg.