German DM: Europe, US should rely on each other

Munich, Germany - The German defense minister on Friday dismissed the warning of a cooling down in the EU-US relations, saying that Europe is the best possible partner of the US.

"Europeans and the Americans can rely on each other. And I would like to add: They will have to be able to rely on each other," Thomas de Maiziere told the Munich Security conference here.

He noted that there are warnings against the risk of a cooling down in the transatlantic relations and rejected them in his speech.

"We have been hearing these warnings for many years," he said, "If the warning experts had been right, then North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the transatlantic link would have failed a long time ago."

The minister termed the transatlantic dialogue as a well-established tradition of the Munich Security Conference. With a clear emphasis on the importance of Europe, he said he believed that "Europe may not be the best conceivable partner for the US in the world, but without any doubt it is the best possible partner."

He also defended Europe by describing it as the most "stable, reliable and able to act" region in the world. "In terms of security policy we may not be good enough, but we are better than any other conceivable partner of the USA."

The minister refuted the concern that the US was turning away from Europe as a result of its shift of focus towards the Pacific region. "...Europe is also turning towards Asia," he said.

He proposed that Europe and the US consider joint transatlantic options for cooperation in the Pacific.

The annual Munich Security Conference opened on Friday and the topic of transatlantic relations will be a focus at a discussion on Saturday. Joseph R. Biden, Vice President of the US, will attend the meeting.