Islamabad: Germany must assume greater responsibility for its own and European security while ensuring that stronger defence capabilities are accompanied by dialogue, trusted partnerships and sustained engagement beyond Europe, Mr Christoph Schmid, Member of the German Bundestag, said at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI).
Speaking at a public talk titled “Defence and Security Policy in a Changing World Order: Perspectives from Germany and the EU,” Mr Schmid quoted his Defence Minister as saying that “Germany has to take more responsibility and lead the way for its own and European security.” The event was organised by the Centre for Strategic Perspectives (CSP) at ISSI.
Mr Schmid traced Germany’s changing strategic posture to the Ukraine conflict and the consequent reassessment of the country’s defence preparedness as well as its dependence on external security and energy arrangements.
He identified recruitment, infrastructure and more efficient procurement as Germany’s key defence priorities. He also underlined the need to raise societal awareness and resilience against emerging threats.
From the German and European perspective, Mr Schmid described Russia as the foremost security challenge. However, he said greater military preparedness should not come at the expense of diplomacy. “Agreeing to disagree is also a way of building trust,” he observed, stressing the importance of engaging partners across regions.
Mr Schmid also commended Pakistan’s recent mediation efforts between the United States and Iran, terming the initiative a major diplomatic achievement. He said Germany would be ready to engage with Pakistan to learn from its mediation role.
In his welcome remarks, ISSI Director General Ambassador Moin ul Haque said major-power competition, the Ukraine conflict, instability in the Middle East, exacerbated by the US-Israel attack on Iran, military-technological transformation and non-traditional threats were collectively reshaping the global security environment.
He called for a more representative and responsive system of global governance in which the legitimate security concerns of developing countries were duly reflected. He said Pakistan and Germany had considerable potential to expand cooperation in security dialogue, trade, technology, development, climate, energy, education and regional connectivity.
In his concluding remarks, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, President of the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), highlighted the interconnected nature of contemporary security challenges, noting that conflicts increasingly generated far-reaching economic and security consequences. He stressed the importance of sustained transatlantic cooperation and peaceful coexistence with a rising China.
Earlier, CSP Director Dr Neelum Nigar said evolving German and European defence policies carried implications beyond Europe. She highlighted the relevance of these developments for Pakistan’s engagement with Germany and the European Union across security, economic, development, climate and connectivity domains.
The talk was followed by an interactive question-and-answer session attended by members of the diplomatic community, government officials, academics, researchers, students, media representatives and civil-society stakeholders.
