U.S. Army Europe commander Lt. Gen. Frederick "Ben" Hodges addresses a reception for U.S. and German servicemembers in Munich, Germany, on Nov. 10, 2014, while German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, Bavaria's state premier, Horst Seehofer, and USAREUR Chief of Staff German Brig. Gen. Markus Laubenthal look on.

MUNICH, Germany — Germany’s defense minister emphasized the importance of personal contacts in fostering closer ties with the U.S. during a reception honoring German and U.S. servicemembers.

U.S. Army Europe commander Lt. Gen. Frederick “Ben” Hodges and USAREUR Chief of Staff German Brig. Gen. Markus Laubenthal attended the reception Monday evening along with some 400 American and 200 German servicemembers.

Strengthening bilateral ties was a theme of the evening, with Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen and the state premier of Bavaria who hosted the event, Horst Seehofer, both noting the recent challenges allies face. They range from Russia’s aggression in Ukraine to the rise of the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

“We can fulfill our international responsibility by standing side-by-side with our trans-Atlantic allies,” von der Leyen said. “The friendly relations between our armed forces have grown over the years.”

Such gatherings are key to that, she said.

“The success of such close cooperation depends on personal contacts, too,” she said.

That sentiment was echoed by Hodges, who took command only a week ago, and Laubenthal, the first German officer to hold that position in the command.

The emphasis on such personal contacts follows a series of incidents that have strained bilateral relations, such as revelations that the U.S. National Security Agency had tapped German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone, as well as counter accusations of spying on American officials by the German foreign intelligence agency.

Mending such rifts, and maintaining those personal contacts is key to maintaining strong ties among NATO member nations and to the strength of the alliance as a whole, Hodges said in an interview during the event.

“Once people begin to doubt that the United States will come to the defense of Estonia, or that Germany will come to the defense of Poland or that Spain will show up for the defense of Romania, then the most successful alliance in the history of the world begins to come apart,” Hodges said. “That’s why this is important.”

Seehofer thanked soldiers of both nations for their commitment.

Echoing recent calls by German leaders for the country to take a more assertive role in foreign and security policy, Seehofer called for an expansion of that debate and more resources for the German army as it increasingly is deployed to hotspots around the globe.

“No one wants to militarize German foreign policy, but we recognize that the role of the Bundeswehr is growing,” he said.

darnell.michael@stripes.com