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Autumn meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers: Close cooperation in turbulent times
On Tuesday (5 December), Sigmar Gabriel travelled to Brussels to discuss how to meet the current challenges with the other NATO foreign Ministers.
Alongside North Korea and Ukraine, cooperation with the EU was on the Agenda.
Crisis concerning North Korea’s nuclear and missile Programme

Defence capabilities and dialogue

Following Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and the destabilisation of eastern Ukraine, a considerable amount of trust has been lost. “Together with Russia, we want to try to find possibilities for a peacekeeping mission in eastern Ukraine to finally bring about a ceasefire,” as Gabriel explained. The Foreign Minister is convinced that we need to maintain dialogue with Russia on this question and others, such as North Korea and Syria. “At the same time, we know that Russia is pursuing a policy which many in NATO find unsettling.” To have more security and transparency, we need defence capabilities and deterrence while offering dialogue.
More cooperation between EU and NATO
NATO will also benefit from the EU’s most recent decisions to strengthen cooperation within Europe on security and defence policy. “That is not directed against NATO and certainly not against the United States but we all know that we will have to take more responsibility for ourselves in the future,” as Foreign Minister Gabriel underscored in Brussels.
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The North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) is a central pillar of Germany’s security and defence policy. With 30 members at present, NATO guarantees security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area.