Report: ANI :
ISLAMABAD — Germany must assume greater responsibility for its own and European security while complementing stronger defence capabilities with dialogue, trusted partnerships and sustained international engagement, Member of the German Bundestag Christoph Schmid 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,” organised by ISSI’s Centre for Strategic Perspectives (CSP), Schmid said the Ukraine conflict had prompted Germany to reassess its defence preparedness and dependence on external security and energy arrangements.
He identified recruitment, infrastructure and more efficient procurement as key defence priorities for Germany and stressed the need to strengthen societal awareness and resilience against emerging threats. He described Russia as the foremost security challenge from the German and European perspective, while emphasising that military preparedness should not come at the expense of diplomacy.
Schmid praised Pakistan’s recent mediation efforts between the United States and Iran, calling the initiative a major diplomatic achievement. He said Germany would be willing to engage with Pakistan and learn from its mediation experience.
In his welcome remarks, ISSI Director General Ambassador Moin ul Haque said major-power competition, the Ukraine conflict, instability in the Middle East, military-technological developments and non-traditional threats were reshaping the global security environment.
He called for a more representative and responsive global governance system that reflects the legitimate security concerns of developing countries. He also highlighted the potential for expanded Pakistan-Germany cooperation in security, trade, technology, development, climate, energy, education and regional connectivity.
President Institute of Regional Studies Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, in his concluding remarks, stressed that contemporary security challenges were increasingly interconnected, with conflicts producing wider economic and security consequences. He emphasised sustained transatlantic cooperation and peaceful coexistence with a rising China.
Earlier, CSP Director Dr. Neelum Nigar said Germany and the EU’s evolving defence policies had implications beyond Europe and were relevant to Pakistan’s engagement with Germany and the European Union in security, economic, development, climate and connectivity sectors.
The event was attended by members of the diplomatic community, government officials, academics, researchers, students, media representatives and civil-society stakeholders, followed by an interactive question-and-answer session.
