German defence minister: defence export policy no longer suitable

Germany needs to ease its restrictive defence export policy to live up to the challenges of a deteriorating security situation and its ambition of executing a sea change in its defence policy, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday.

"As it is, our defence export policy does neither do the Zeitenwende (sea change) nor the national security strategy nor the heightened geopolitical tensions justice," Pistorius told a meeting of defence industry leaders in Berlin.

"In parts, it damages Germany‘s reputation as reliable and credible partner. We have to take other countries‘ security interests seriously."