Schröder: NATO a “Guarantor of Peace and Freedom”

Statement by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder on the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of  the Accession of the Federal Republic of Germany to NATO on May 6, 1955

On 6 May 2005 we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the accession of the Federal Republic of Germany to the North Atlantic Alliance. This anniversary underscores Germany's long-standing membership of the transatlantic security partnership. Since its founding, NATO has been the guarantor of peace and freedom for the Western democracies. The Alliance made a crucial contribution towards achieving Germany's reunification in freedom, towards ending the Cold War and towards overcoming the division of Europe.

The security challenges changed with the peaceful transformation in Central and Eastern Europe and the end of the Warsaw Pact. Europe no longer has to fear a military attack on its borders although new threats and risks require new responses from the Alliance. In this process, it has impressively proved its ability to adapt time and again. It is tackling the new challenges and assuming responsibility for resolving regional crises and conflicts.

I am also gratified that my proposal for the political dialogue within NATO as well as between NATO and the European Union to be intensified was actively taken up and fleshed out by the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Vilnius.

A visible sign of the key role played by NATO in international crisis management is its commitment to maintaining security and stability, for example in the Balkans and in Afghanistan. Germany is making an outstanding contribution towards this in the Alliance. At present, more than 5,000 soldiers are taking part in NATO operations, and Germany is currently the largest provider of troops in Afghanistan and Kosovo.

NATO's composition also reflects the changes Europe has undergone. Since the end of the Cold War, 13 states have acceded to the Alliance. NATO remains open to European states willing and able to assume the responsibilities and obligations of membership.

Since 1989, NATO has resolutely built up a broad network of partnerships: the NATO-Russia Council, the NATO-Ukraine Commission and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council provide a framework for political dialogue and ever closer cooperation. Partnerships with the countries in the Mediterranean and the Middle East are also of increasing significance.

The strategic partnership between NATO and the European Union is of fundamental importance for jointly mastering today's security challenges. A dynamic European Security and Defence Policy will strengthen the European pillar of the Alliance and thus NATO as a whole.

The American forces in Germany have always been an unmistakable symbol of genuine transatlantic partnership and the close cooperation within NATO. Their presence is an expression of German-American friendship and continues to be of central importance for tackling the new security challenges.

NATO has always been more than a defence alliance. It symbolizes our transatlantic civilization, common interests and common values. During the fifty years of its membership, the Federal Republic of Germany has benefited in a special way from the Atlantic Alliance ?] and has always been particularly committed to it. NATO has become part of Germany's raison d'état ?] and will remain so. Alongside European integration, transatlantic cooperation continues to be the prime pillar of Germany's foreign policy.

May 5, 2005

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Celebrating 50 Years of Germany in NATO
To mark the 50th anniversary of Germany joining NATO, the German Embassy and the Atlantic Council will host the conference, “Germany and NATO: The Next 50 Years.”

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