Angela Merkel meets NATO's Jens Stoltenberg in Berlin

German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the German capital Berlin Friday.

The migrant situation on the Poland-Belarus border is set to be the focus of talks. Stoltenberg said NATO "stands in solidarity with our ally Poland and other allies affected like Lithuania and Latvia." 

"We remain vigilant and stand ready to further help our allies," Stoltenberg told reporters. "Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's regime's use of vulnerable people as a means to put pressure on other countries is cynical and inhumane."

Merkel and Stoltenberg are also discussing  Russia's military buildup near the border with Ukraine.

In a joint press conference ahead of negotiations, Merkel expressed a desire to continue dialogue with Russia, noting there are "major contradictions, but it is always better to talk to each other than not to talk."

"But unfortunately no cooling off has occurred there at the moment," she said.

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Lukashenko while Stoltenberg is in Berlin. 

Stoltenberg said, "NATO is monitoring this situation very closely, and we continue to provide political and practical support to Ukraine."

He added, "NATO needs a strong Germany, both politically and militarily, that also means a Bundeswehr that has a full range of capabilities needed to keep our countries safe."

NATO and Germany

In an initial statement, Stoltenberg said the alliance expected Germany to remain within the nuclear sharing agreement.

"It gives a country like Germany a seat at the table...I think this is extremely important for European allies because then we are involved, we take responsibility and we have a say," he said.

US nuclear bombs are stationed on German soil and can be carried by German jets in an emergency. 

Before talks and the joint press conference, Stoltenberg delivered a keynote at the annual NATO Talk conference hosted by the Federal Academy for Security Policy and the Press Information Office of the German government.

"It's great to be back in Berlin and I am looking forward to taking part in this exchange and to discuss important security challenges for the North Atlantic alliance. Germany is highly valued NATO ally," Stoltenberg said ahead of his speech. 

ar/rt (AFP, dpa, Reuters)