WEBVTT 00:00.360 --> 00:02.480 Well , I'm honored now to turn the 00:02.480 --> 00:04.920 microphone over to Alan Meltzer , the 00:04.920 --> 00:07.320 Chars de Affair of the US Embassy in 00:07.320 --> 00:10.359 Berlin to provide a few opening remarks . 00:11.390 --> 00:11.840 Alan , 00:24.610 --> 00:27.280 Good morning everyone . I would like to 00:27.280 --> 00:29.280 begin by extending my thanks to the 00:29.280 --> 00:31.391 Association of the United States Army 00:31.639 --> 00:33.750 and the US Army Europe and Africa for 00:33.750 --> 00:36.360 inviting me today . I am particularly 00:36.360 --> 00:38.319 honored to share the stage with 00:38.319 --> 00:41.990 Generals Brown and Donahue . This 00:41.990 --> 00:44.439 inaugural Land Euro event could not 00:44.439 --> 00:47.159 happen at a more important time . The 00:47.159 --> 00:49.459 fact that the exhibition space is 00:49.459 --> 00:52.619 completely filled . Reflects the 00:52.619 --> 00:54.939 important need this event fills as we 00:54.939 --> 00:57.050 rebuild the capabilities of the North 00:57.050 --> 01:01.000 Atlantic Alliance . Russia's invasion 01:01.000 --> 01:03.799 of Ukraine serves as a stark reminder . 01:04.760 --> 01:06.927 Even as the Trump administration works 01:06.927 --> 01:09.559 tirelessly to negotiate an end to the 01:09.559 --> 01:12.160 brutal and senseless killing , that 01:12.160 --> 01:14.599 transatlantic security cannot be taken 01:14.599 --> 01:17.959 for granted . If history offers any 01:17.959 --> 01:21.269 clear lesson , it is this the only way 01:21.269 --> 01:23.720 to deter aggression is through a strong 01:23.720 --> 01:27.139 defense . And the decision of NATO 01:27.139 --> 01:29.980 allies last month to embrace President 01:29.980 --> 01:32.500 Trump's proposal to increase defense 01:32.500 --> 01:36.339 spending to 5% of GDP reflects their 01:36.339 --> 01:38.283 clear understanding that they must 01:38.283 --> 01:40.010 contribute their share to our 01:40.010 --> 01:43.889 collective deterrence . Indeed , It is 01:43.889 --> 01:45.970 the credibility of NATO's collective 01:45.970 --> 01:48.010 deterrence that has maintained the 01:48.010 --> 01:51.779 peace for 76 years . The decisions 01:51.779 --> 01:54.819 taken last month in The Hague will help 01:54.819 --> 01:56.763 ensure that this deterrent remains 01:56.763 --> 02:00.080 credible for decades to come . And 02:00.080 --> 02:02.819 that's where Land Euro comes in . By 02:02.819 --> 02:05.059 bringing together European and American 02:05.059 --> 02:08.139 defense companies and policymakers in a 02:08.139 --> 02:10.979 single forum , Land bureau highlights 02:10.979 --> 02:14.139 how interconnected our defense sectors 02:14.139 --> 02:18.119 are . And must remain In 02:18.119 --> 02:20.160 fact , German defense companies are 02:20.160 --> 02:22.049 indispensable partners with their 02:22.049 --> 02:25.000 American counterparts in advancing our 02:25.000 --> 02:26.833 collective security objectives , 02:27.399 --> 02:29.750 because many of them already have major 02:29.750 --> 02:33.710 operations on US soil . American Rhine 02:33.710 --> 02:36.309 Metal , for instance , is a supplier 02:36.309 --> 02:39.380 for every major ground combat vehicle 02:39.750 --> 02:42.779 in the US Army fleet . And just this 02:42.779 --> 02:45.929 month , Ukraine's Syeslav 02:45.929 --> 02:48.779 brigade released footage of intensive 02:48.779 --> 02:52.220 training conducted on US delivered M2 02:52.220 --> 02:55.399 Bradleys . Infantry fighting vehicles 02:55.399 --> 02:58.800 which are powered by transmissions 02:59.119 --> 03:01.919 manufactured in Michigan by the US 03:01.919 --> 03:04.869 branch of Augsburg's Rank Group . 03:06.440 --> 03:09.039 This footage highlights how effectively 03:09.039 --> 03:10.928 American and German technological 03:10.928 --> 03:13.929 innovation are married in cutting edge 03:13.929 --> 03:16.520 defense equipment . As well as how 03:16.520 --> 03:19.759 critical our cooperation is to NATO 03:19.759 --> 03:23.479 readiness . Even as we gather here in 03:23.479 --> 03:26.309 Wiesbaden , another chapter of this 03:26.309 --> 03:28.789 cooperation is being written just a few 03:28.789 --> 03:31.190 hours north of here in Via , North 03:31.190 --> 03:34.789 Rhine-Westphalia . There , Rhine Mattal 03:34.789 --> 03:37.389 has begun operation in collaboration 03:37.389 --> 03:39.350 with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed 03:39.350 --> 03:42.479 Martin of a new facility to produce 03:42.479 --> 03:45.899 fuselage sections for F-35 fighters . 03:47.220 --> 03:49.779 This partnership works because US 03:49.779 --> 03:53.369 defense companies are an integral part 03:53.619 --> 03:55.675 of the transatlantic industrial base 03:55.979 --> 03:59.179 and global supply chains . They bring 03:59.179 --> 04:01.809 the most advanced battle-tested 04:01.809 --> 04:04.630 technologies , competitively priced 04:04.880 --> 04:07.429 with the necessary speed and scale . 04:09.169 --> 04:11.250 The challenge before us now is 04:11.250 --> 04:13.330 maintaining this close industrial 04:13.330 --> 04:17.200 partnership in the years ahead . The 04:17.200 --> 04:19.200 Trump administration has been clear 04:19.200 --> 04:21.200 that maintaining NATO standards and 04:21.200 --> 04:23.600 interoperability as the foundation of 04:23.600 --> 04:26.350 alliance readiness requires that all 04:26.359 --> 04:29.279 allies work together on building our 04:29.279 --> 04:33.250 capabilities . The United States offers 04:33.250 --> 04:35.809 global deterrence . With NATO's 04:35.809 --> 04:37.753 decision to significantly increase 04:37.753 --> 04:39.690 defense spending , our European 04:39.690 --> 04:41.746 partners are stepping up to shoulder 04:41.929 --> 04:44.220 their share of the task in this 04:44.220 --> 04:48.149 transatlantic space . As we work 04:48.149 --> 04:50.269 to implement that decision in each of 04:50.269 --> 04:52.950 our countries and ensure that these 04:52.950 --> 04:55.061 considerable new resources are put to 04:55.061 --> 04:56.989 the best use , we must begin by 04:56.989 --> 04:59.156 reforming procurement laws and cutting 04:59.156 --> 05:01.589 red tape at the EU level and of course 05:01.589 --> 05:04.989 in Germany that will enable both US and 05:04.989 --> 05:07.429 European defense companies to access 05:07.429 --> 05:09.970 the German market . And the efforts of 05:09.970 --> 05:12.026 the new German government to address 05:12.026 --> 05:15.329 this issue could not be more timely or 05:15.329 --> 05:19.089 necessary . We must also look to grow 05:19.089 --> 05:22.010 our success , investing in the areas of 05:22.010 --> 05:24.690 cooperation which are already yielding 05:24.690 --> 05:28.309 fruit . Simply put , any major 05:28.309 --> 05:31.070 defense project which overlooks US 05:31.070 --> 05:34.470 ingenuity and cost advantages risks 05:34.470 --> 05:37.470 inviting delay , inefficiency , as well 05:37.470 --> 05:41.459 as untested technology . As Secretary 05:41.459 --> 05:44.679 of State Rubio has said , quote , The 05:44.679 --> 05:47.040 US is the only country in the world 05:47.040 --> 05:49.040 with the companies fully capable of 05:49.040 --> 05:51.640 adequately supplying Europe's defense 05:51.640 --> 05:54.779 needs . Accordingly , NATO allies must 05:54.779 --> 05:57.299 allow American firms to compete for 05:57.299 --> 06:01.160 defense contracts . Over the next 2 06:01.160 --> 06:03.510 days , some 80 exhibitors will showcase 06:03.920 --> 06:06.359 cutting edge systems in the power of 06:06.359 --> 06:09.130 transatlantic collaboration in 06:09.130 --> 06:11.959 land-based defense . Your presence here 06:11.959 --> 06:14.070 at Land Euro means this alliance will 06:14.070 --> 06:16.519 be able to equip our forces with the 06:16.519 --> 06:18.463 very best in technological advance 06:18.480 --> 06:21.079 advancements and reinforce the bonds 06:21.079 --> 06:23.160 that work to maintain peace and 06:23.160 --> 06:26.559 security in Europe . So on behalf of 06:26.559 --> 06:28.920 the US mission to Germany , I welcome 06:28.920 --> 06:31.109 you all to La Euro and wish you good 06:31.109 --> 06:33.119 luck as you seek to identify the 06:33.119 --> 06:35.519 industrial partners that will help us 06:35.519 --> 06:38.049 to achieve a safer , more secure world 06:38.359 --> 06:40.581 with the North Atlantic Alliance in the 06:40.581 --> 06:41.269 years to come .