Bundesregierung

"I am convinced that we will be appointing a new NATO Secretary General this evening,” declared the Chancellor shortly before the NATO summit. Like many other heads of state and government she hoped to see the Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in this post.
 
We should do our very best to try to convince all others, she continued. "We know him well through our long-standing contacts.”
 
Anders Fogh Rasmussen had previously confirmed that he would be available as a candidate for the post. The NATO Secretary General is elected unanimously by member states
 

Networked security

 
Photo: picture-alliance / obs The bridge across the Rhine links Germany and FranceAt the anniversary summit meeting on 3 and 4 April member states hammered out a new strategic concept. And NATO is expanding. It welcomed two new members, Albania and Croatia.
 
The anniversary summit broke new ground in the history of NATO – for the first time ever a summit was jointly hosted by two countries. Germany and France together prepared the summit meeting, which was held in Baden-Baden, Kehl and Strasbourg. Summit participants, however focussed their attention on the future of the alliance.
 
Terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear weapons, but also the consequences of climate change and natural disasters are new threats and demand new answers. Chancellor Angela Merkel is convinced that NATO needs a new strategy – networked security.
 
 The NATO summit offered time for in-depth discussion. The event began with a concert and dinner at Baden-Baden’s Kurhaus. On Saturday the North Atlantic Council met at the level of heads of state and government. The North Atlantic Council is the most important policy-making organ of NATO. Over the two days of the summit about six hours were earmarked for discussions. The foreign and defence ministers of member states also attended.
 

No security without reconstruction, no reconstruction without security

 
 "NATO must get used to coordinating activities with other international organisations.” This was the bold message of the Chancellor in her most recent video podcast.
 
Photo: Nato Summit logo The ISAF mission in Afghanistan shows how important it is to cooperate with other organisations. The protection offered by the military operation in Afghanistan makes possible reconstruction work, which in turn generates greater security. This shows us that civilian and military inputs cannot be viewed separately. The Afghan partners are to gradually assume greater ownership.
 
This is why Germany is helping to train the Afghan security forces. This commitment remains. The Chancellor has already announced that Germany will continue to provide assistance in northern Afghanistan on the basis of the concept of networked security. For the first time ever, NATO member states had the opportunity to discuss further procedure in Afghanistan with the new US President Barack Obama.
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Old friends and new faces

 
There was, however, also a lot to celebrate on this 60th anniversary of the founding of NATO. Since 1949 it has been the world’s most important security-policy alliance. It sees itself as a community of values shared by free democratic states. It began with ten West European member states alongside the USA and Canada. Today it also embraces a number of Central and Eastern European states.
 
And the alliance continues to expand. At this summit it welcomed two new members – Albania and Croatia. France too has rejoined the military command structure, which it left in 1966 because of concerns about retaining military independence.
 
At the summit, the heads of state and government also discussed NATO’s relationship with Russia. After the war in Georgia in August last year, relations were suspended. After this NATO summit meeting, the meetings of the NATO-Russia Council are to be resumed.
 

Strengthened for the future

 
These are complex topics and ambitious objectives. There was a lot to discuss in Baden-Baden, Kehl and Strasbourg. Germany and France did their utmost to be good hosts. Together they pursued one goal – "We want to make this summit a success, a summit that will strengthen NATO,” underscored the Chancellor in the run-up to the summit. Both countries have done everything possible to ensure just this.