German Chancellor Olaf Scholz presented a national security strategy on Wednesday, showing, as reported by dpa, that Germany was forced to respond to the increasing instability of the world order, which was also confirmed by the war launched by Russia against Ukraine.

Scholz presented the document, approved by the government in Berlin after months of discussions with the foreign, interior, defense and finance ministers.

This, the cited agency notes, is Germany’s first national security strategy launched in a tense security context, with the war in Ukraine and the escalation of geopolitical rivalry between the US and China.

“Despite all the changes, ensuring the safety of citizens, without compromises, remains the main task of the state,” the chancellor said. He emphasized that security is no longer limited to defense and armed forces.

China placed next to Russia on the list of threats

According to the German government, China, along with Russia, also poses a threat to the rules-based world order. For Berlin, Beijing is a “system partner, competitor and rival”, while “China is trying in various ways to change the existing rules-based international order, is increasingly aggressively claiming regional supremacy and has repeatedly acted against our interests and values”. .

Diplomacy, public order, firefighting, technical assistance, development cooperation, cyber security and supply chain resilience are also included in the security strategy. Dependence on raw materials and energy must be reduced by diversifying purchases. “All these means and tools must work together and cooperate to strengthen the security of our country,” Scholz said.

The plan covers national defense and alliances, technical infrastructure protection, cyber and space security, raw materials, energy and food security. Civil defense and protection, development policy, defense against external influence and espionage, and solutions to climate crises and pandemics are also mentioned. Together with the federal government, local authorities, companies, the scientific sector, civil society and citizens will be involved.

The strategy reaffirms Germany’s commitment to NATO and the European Union and envisages strengthening the army by allocating 2% of gross domestic product – on average – over several years.

Germany also promises to protect democracy.

Some officials indicated during the presentation, without going into details, that it would also affect arms exports. The German government intends to pay more attention to strategic issues in cooperation with partner countries as part of the reorientation of arms policy.

Landmarks in this sense are specified in the strategy, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said. “Of course, given the new world situation, the export of weapons is a component of the strategic toolkit. When we talk about strategic partnership, we must also touch on this issue, and therefore a new balance,” he noted.

Scholz said more details of the strategy will be released at another time. He acknowledged that “strict arms control rules” would still remain, but strategic issues would have to be addressed. (source: Agerpres)