WEBVTT

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Well , I'm honored now to turn the

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microphone over to Alan Meltzer , the

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Chars de Affair of the US Embassy in

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Berlin to provide a few opening remarks .

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Alan ,

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Good morning everyone . I would like to

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begin by extending my thanks to the

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Association of the United States Army

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and the US Army Europe and Africa for

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inviting me today . I am particularly

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honored to share the stage with

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Generals Brown and Donahue . This

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inaugural Land Euro event could not

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happen at a more important time . The

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fact that the exhibition space is

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completely filled . Reflects the

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important need this event fills as we

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rebuild the capabilities of the North

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Atlantic Alliance . Russia's invasion

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of Ukraine serves as a stark reminder .

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Even as the Trump administration works

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tirelessly to negotiate an end to the

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brutal and senseless killing , that

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transatlantic security cannot be taken

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for granted . If history offers any

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clear lesson , it is this the only way

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to deter aggression is through a strong

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defense . And the decision of NATO

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allies last month to embrace President

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Trump's proposal to increase defense

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spending to 5% of GDP reflects their

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clear understanding that they must

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contribute their share to our

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collective deterrence . Indeed , It is

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the credibility of NATO's collective

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deterrence that has maintained the

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peace for 76 years . The decisions

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taken last month in The Hague will help

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ensure that this deterrent remains

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credible for decades to come . And

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that's where Land Euro comes in . By

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bringing together European and American

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defense companies and policymakers in a

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single forum , Land bureau highlights

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how interconnected our defense sectors

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are . And must remain In

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fact , German defense companies are

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indispensable partners with their

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American counterparts in advancing our

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collective security objectives ,

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because many of them already have major

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operations on US soil . American Rhine

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Metal , for instance , is a supplier

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for every major ground combat vehicle

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in the US Army fleet . And just this

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month , Ukraine's Syeslav

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brigade released footage of intensive

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training conducted on US delivered M2

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Bradleys . Infantry fighting vehicles

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which are powered by transmissions

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manufactured in Michigan by the US

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branch of Augsburg's Rank Group .

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This footage highlights how effectively

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American and German technological

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innovation are married in cutting edge

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defense equipment . As well as how

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critical our cooperation is to NATO

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readiness . Even as we gather here in

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Wiesbaden , another chapter of this

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cooperation is being written just a few

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hours north of here in Via , North

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Rhine-Westphalia . There , Rhine Mattal

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has begun operation in collaboration

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with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed

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Martin of a new facility to produce

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fuselage sections for F-35 fighters .

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This partnership works because US

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defense companies are an integral part

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of the transatlantic industrial base

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and global supply chains . They bring

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the most advanced battle-tested

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technologies , competitively priced

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with the necessary speed and scale .

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The challenge before us now is

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maintaining this close industrial

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partnership in the years ahead . The

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Trump administration has been clear

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that maintaining NATO standards and

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interoperability as the foundation of

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alliance readiness requires that all

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allies work together on building our

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capabilities . The United States offers

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global deterrence . With NATO's

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decision to significantly increase

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defense spending , our European

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partners are stepping up to shoulder

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their share of the task in this

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transatlantic space . As we work

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to implement that decision in each of

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our countries and ensure that these

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considerable new resources are put to

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the best use , we must begin by

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reforming procurement laws and cutting

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red tape at the EU level and of course

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in Germany that will enable both US and

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European defense companies to access

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the German market . And the efforts of

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the new German government to address

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this issue could not be more timely or

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necessary . We must also look to grow

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our success , investing in the areas of

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cooperation which are already yielding

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fruit . Simply put , any major

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defense project which overlooks US

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ingenuity and cost advantages risks

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inviting delay , inefficiency , as well

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as untested technology . As Secretary

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of State Rubio has said , quote , The

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US is the only country in the world

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with the companies fully capable of

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adequately supplying Europe's defense

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needs . Accordingly , NATO allies must

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allow American firms to compete for

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defense contracts . Over the next 2

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days , some 80 exhibitors will showcase

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cutting edge systems in the power of

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transatlantic collaboration in

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land-based defense . Your presence here

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at Land Euro means this alliance will

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be able to equip our forces with the

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very best in technological advance

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advancements and reinforce the bonds

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that work to maintain peace and

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security in Europe . So on behalf of

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the US mission to Germany , I welcome

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you all to La Euro and wish you good

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luck as you seek to identify the

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industrial partners that will help us

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to achieve a safer , more secure world

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with the North Atlantic Alliance in the

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years to come .