Thread by @jseldin

NEW: "Our defense efforts, both w/#EU and @NATO have to be fully complimentary" German Parliamentary State Secretary @SilberhornMdB tells @AtlanticCouncil re: Germany's defense efforts w/its presidency of the Council of the European Union

"There is not unanimity in many matters on defense issues" within the EU, per @SilberhornMdB "There are different approaches among European Union countries"

"We should have the strength to focus on common interests" in #Balkans #NorthAfrica

Need for EU to "strategically convene our approaches" in #Libya & especially Western #Balkans, per @SilberhornMdB

"We have to get a global perspective" per @SilberhornMdB on need for #multilateralism

"We can only address global threats if we get a global perspective on these problems"

"Single actors cannot ignore it" per @SilberhornMdB on advantage of using multilateral approach to global security

"We need ownership" per @SilberhornMdB about contributing to defense of #Mali

"Mali itself & the neighboring countries take the initiative for their recovery...We can only open the window for stabilizing a region by deploying our troops"

"Our intention is not to follow our own interests in countries with our army's deployments" per @SilberhornMdB "Our intention is to enable our partner governments"

#China - "If the challenge of China is understood as a great power competition on the bilateral basis btw the #UnitedStates & China...ths is hard not only for #Germany but for all Europeans to step in" per @SilberhornMdB "We are no great powers & we cannot compete on this level"

Idea of changing the #Chinese system - "This is very, very ambitious" per @SilberhornMdB

"I wouldn't recommend this...Our intention is not to change others" in foreign or defense policy, he says, noting past European efforts lead to extremism

"Maybe the future of @NATO, of transatlantic partnership is to strive out to all democracies globally & to keep in mind the potential of the southern hemisphere" per @SilberhornMdB

re: #China

With multilateral approach to #China, "Europeans can step in" per @SilberhornMdB

NEW: "It's not up to us to decide on troop deployments of the #UnitedStates" per #Germany's @SilberhornMdB

"The US troops are welcome in Germany & I think that Germany is a brilliant site for US troops w/excellent infrastructure & long-standing experience"

"If the US administration decides to deploy troops wherever, I would be pleased to hear some concrete reasons for that" per #Germany's @SilberhornMdB, noting "any deployment will cost additional money...it's useful to know what the added value is"

"We see it not only in exclusively German but primarily in the US interests to deploy to the cent of #Europe" per @SilberhornMdB "It's a question of stability & strength of the [@NATO] alliance"

#Afghanistan "We deployed our troops to Afghanistan bcs the #UnitedStates asked us to do so" per #Germany's @SilberhornMdB "When the US withdraws its troops or reduces its engagement in Afghanistan, our [Germany's] deployment depends on this"

"We should do it in a way that we do not lose the progress we made & enabled" per #Germany's @SilberhornMdB on leaving #Afghanistan

"The #Taliban approach so far is a lot of violence..."

"We should leave in a way that the non-extremist groups can compete & are not overruled by #Taliban extremist groups" per #Germany's @SilberhornMdB

re #Afghanistan