German Chancellor: NATO is a 'Pillar' of the Peaceful Order Across the Atlantic
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized the importance of NATO in maintaining European security, describing it as a fundamental pillar of the peaceful order, during his participation in the award ceremony for the Alliance's Peace Prize alongside Mark Rutte and Rob Jetten.
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Berlin, Oct 1 (KUNA) -- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz affirmed on Thursday the importance of the role played by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in maintaining security and peace in Europe, describing it as a “fundamental pillar” of the peaceful order across the Atlantic. Merz made these remarks ahead of the ceremony in which NATO was awarded the International Westphalia Peace Prize in the western German city of Munster, stating that the alliance contributes to safeguarding freedom, security, and prosperity and serves peace in Europe. He added that awarding a peace prize to a military alliance might initially seem “contradictory,” but is in fact “logical,” given that the alliance has served as a “fundamental pillar of security and peace” across the Atlantic for three generations. Merz opened the event with a visit to the German-Dutch Corps headquarters in Munster, accompanied by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten. Regarding the war in Ukraine, Merz said that Europe’s peaceful order faces challenges due to what he described as Russia’s “violent expansionism,” noting that Moscow launched the war against Ukraine “in disregard of international law and order.” He stressed that the war directly affects the security of Germany and Europe, reaffirming continued efforts to achieve a diplomatic resolution. He added that, in his view, Moscow has not yet shown readiness to sit at the negotiating table, and that Germany and its European partners will continue to support Ukraine in the coming years. (End)
