I would like to thank you very much for this invitation. It is nice to be here again.
I am very pleased to see that the Secretary General of NATO, my friend Mark Rutte, is here too.
And, of course, it is a particularly great pleasure to be standing here next to the German foreign minister, dear Johann Wadephul.
Thank you for also having invited me to be here today. The Munich Security Conference would be unthinkable without the CSU Transatlantic Forum. It is my 11th time here. And I must say that it is a tradition that I have come to treasure. I couldn't imagine going to the MSC without attending the CSU Transatlantic Forum, since it is not just a warm-up event but also, year after year, a very strong affirmation of the transatlantic friendship. I am very pleased to see that we have been invited together with the NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, this time. Mark Rutte is an old friend of mine from EU times, who is very well known as Prime Minister of the Netherlands but who is now NATO Secretary General. I think that that symbolises very nicely the very close and strong cooperation between the European Union and NATO. I am very pleased to see that our American friends will also be present here at the Transatlantic Forum again, as I too am a committed Atlanticist. For me, this alliance is very important.
For years there has been a cross-party consensus among us within the alliance – but also from elsewhere – that Europe must do more on defence. And that is right. Europe must become more independent and do more for its defence. A strong Europe also means a strong NATO. And that is the mindset that I have brought into the European Union. We have done more for defence in Europe over the past year than in the 10 years before. Looking at the last budget over seven years, EUR 8 billion was allocated to defence. In the last year we have mobilised EUR 800 billion for European defence to allow us to close the gaps that we have. Of that 800 billion, one programme is very important to me: joint procurement, SAFE – joint projects between Member States. SAFE has EUR 100 billion allocated to those joint projects to close the gaps and strengthen our defence capability. A second element is important here: it is a very clear condition of that EUR 100 billion that is available that 65%, or two-thirds, of products must come from Europe – from Ukraine or Europe – and must not be procured from outside it. With good reason. Because the billions upon billions spent on defence are to create jobs and promote innovation and development. And so this must also flow into our European defence industry, including here in Bavaria. Because that is the return on investment that we all need.
The second point: we have launched a EUR 90 billion loan for Ukraine. That loan will have to be repaid by Ukraine only if Russia pays reparations. Two-thirds of the loan, or EUR 60 billion, is available to be spent on defence. Here too, the cascade principle applies. Firstly, everything must be procured from Ukraine or the European Union. Only if that is not possible or cannot be done in time will procurement from outside be allowed. That sends out a strong signal: we intend to – and have to – strengthen the base of the defence industry in Europe. And that is why I am in exactly the right place here, an exceptional site – as Mr Söder has just described it – to make sure that these investments, these European funds, also flow into good jobs, innovation and development.
