Readout of the Vice President's Meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Today in Munich, the Vice President met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The leaders reaffirmed the lasting partnership between the United States and Germany and committed to continued close cooperation on a wide range of global challenges. The leaders discussed the need for NATO Allies to meet their burdensharing commitments and agreed that the Alliance must continue to transform itself to meet 21st century threats. The Vice President thanked the Chancellor for her leadership on Ukraine via the Normandy Format negotiations to implement the Minsk agreements. The Vice President also expressed appreciation for Germany's contributions in Afghanistan and to NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence initiative and the Global Counter-ISIS coalition. The leaders discussed next steps in the fight against ISIS and other terrorist organizations.