By Ayhan Simsek
BERLIN (AA) – NATO allies will use next week’s summit in Ankara to address the latest developments in the Middle East and diplomatic efforts toward a US-Iran peace agreement, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Wednesday.
Speaking at a joint news conference in Berlin with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Merz said the summit of heads of state and government will focus on the alliance’s future, transatlantic cooperation, and continued support for Ukraine, while also addressing developments in the Mideast.
“The NATO summit will also address the future of the Middle East,” Merz told reporters. “We continue to help achieve lasting peace between the United States and Iran. Our shared goal remains the same: an end to Iran’s nuclear program and the permanent opening of the Strait of Hormuz.”
Asked whether Germany would be willing to contribute financially to implementing a US-Iran framework peace deal signed last month — which includes a planned $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran — Merz signaled Berlin’s openness to providing financial support, contingent on a sustained ceasefire.
“We are now hoping for an end to hostilities and the conclusion of an agreement that goes beyond the existing memorandum of understanding,” he said, adding that Berlin has repeatedly expressed its readiness to support a peace deal between the United States and Iran.
“Once the focus shifts to rebuilding the region’s destroyed infrastructure, everything is open for discussion. But first and foremost, the fighting must stop,” Merz said.
“We will certainly then play our part—driven also by our own economic interests—in restoring the region’s infrastructure, particularly the energy infrastructure, so as to ensure a secure supply for Europe and Germany,” he added.