Germany must combine greater defence responsibility with dialogue, partnerships: Christoph Schmid

ISLAMABAD, Sep 01 (APP):“Germany has to take more responsibility and lead the way for its own and European security”, Mr. Christoph Schmid, Member of the German Bundestag, quoted his Defence Minister while speaking at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI).

He stressed that stronger defence capabilities must be complemented by dialogue, trusted partnerships and sustained engagement beyond Europe, said a press release.

Schmid was delivering a public talk titled “Defence and Security Policy in a Changing World Order: Perspectives from Germany and the EU,” at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) organised by its Centre for Strategic Perspectives (CSP).

He traced Germany’s evolving strategic posture to the Ukraine conflict and the resulting reassessment of its defence preparedness and dependence on external security and energy arrangements.

Highlighting recruitment, infrastructure and more efficient procurement as Germany’s principal defence priorities, Mr. Schmid underscored the need to raise societal awareness and resilience against emerging threats.

From the German and European perspective, he described Russia as the foremost security challenge. At the same time, he maintained that greater military preparedness must not come at the expense of diplomacy. “Agreeing to disagree is also a way of building trust,” he observed, emphasizing the importance of engaging partners across regions.

Schmid commended Pakistan’s recent mediation efforts between the United States and Iran, describing the initiative as a major diplomatic achievement. He added that Germany would be ready to engage with Pakistan to learn from its mediation role.

In his welcome remarks, Director General ISSI Ambassador Moin ul Haque observed that major-power competition, the Ukraine conflict, instability in the Middle East, exacerbated by U.S.-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 added that Pakistan and Germany possessed 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 Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), underscored the interconnected nature of contemporary security challenges, noting that conflicts increasingly generate 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 noted that evolving German and European defence policies carried implications extending well beyond Europe. She highlighted the relevance of these developments for Pakistan’s engagement with Germany and the European Union across the security, economic, development, climate and connectivity domains.

The talk was followed by an interactive Q&A session, attended by members of the diplomatic community, government officials, academics, researchers, students, media representatives and civil-society stakeholders.