But it is equally clear that those efforts aiming at disarming the world should not only be supported by the Germans but what we want to do is to work with others, with our allies and partners as close as possible and to coordinate our actions very closely with them.
We will take decisions together. The German… the new federal German government is not aiming at going matters alone…
German Press Agency: Question to the Secretary General. Mr. Rasmussen, do you think that the removal of all nuclear U.S. warheads from Europe and in particular from Germany will be conducive to the Alliance security?
Sec. Gen. Anders Fogh Rasmussen: Well let me put it this way: it is only natural that there is a political discussion and a discussion in our publics about our nuclear strategy. Having said that, I also think it’s of utmost importance that any step, that any decision on this takes place within the Alliance in a much lateral framework and that no unilateral step is taken, because this is a question which concerns all allies. It’s a question about the overall security and deterrence and I have noted with satisfaction that this is also the position of the new German government that any steps and any discussion or any decision will take place in a multilateral framework.
Excerpts from Press Conference by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and German Minister of Foreign Affairs Guido Westerwelle. (photo: NATO)