Why does Germany favor NATOs expansion?
” Students should be able to answer this question from the “And Now….” section of the Student Text Page and from consulting the inset maps on the Germany Map Page. As a nation bordering both west and east European markets, Germany can look forward to expanding its trade in all directions — and to helping new democracies in the east — provided that Europe’s peace is guaranteed. That’s where NATO comes in: and the more members, the wider the security zone. Addressing the German parliament in November 2002, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer announced his government’s full support for NATO on the eve of that Organization’s proffer of membership to several East European nations (Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania). “The door must remain open,” said Fischer. “NATO is the…. expression of the historic bond and mutual commitment of Europe and America.” Thus, NATO remains the cornerstone of German defense — a policy that does not preclude its membership,
