WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel hosted German Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière Tuesday at the Pentagon and commended Germany's leadership in Europe and among the NATO allies, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

In a statement summarizing their meeting, Little said the two leaders discussed Germany’s essential support to allied operations in Afghanistan.

“Secretary Hagel thanked Germany for its vital leadership within the International Security Assistance Force, particularly its leadership of Regional Command North,” Little said. “Secretary Hagel applauded Germany’s recent announcement to continue security support to Afghanistan post-2014 and discussed U.S. considerations for an enduring presence.”

Hagel also appreciates Germany for its support to NATO’s defensive mission in Turkey along the Syrian border, the press secretary said. Noting that Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States have contributed Patriot anti-missile batteries to augment Turkey’s defenses, he added that “the mission demonstrates the solidarity of the alliance against common threats.”

The two defense leaders also discussed NATO’s future and the importance of the alliance, Little said.

“Secretary Hagel affirmed that NATO is not only the cornerstone of the transatlantic relationship, but the benchmark for multilateral security cooperation around the world,” he said. “The leaders discussed ideas for improving NATO’s capabilities and approaches for ensuring NATO remains capable of meeting future security challenges.”

Source: DOD