(CNN) Former President Barack Obama spoke Saturday on the importance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization during a town hall in Berlin with emerging European leaders.

At the event hosted by his foundation, the former Democratic president was asked by a town hall participant what smaller countries like the Baltic states could do to stress the importance of international alliances like NATO.

Obama suggested that these smaller nations in alliances "reflect internally the values of democracy, freedom, rule of law" so they can hold the larger countries accountable.

"I think when there is backsliding internally then you have less moral force in that argument," Obama said.

Obama said the alliances created "a structure and a set of aspirations so that small countries, defenseless peoples, vulnerable groups could appeal to the ideals and the principles and take that charter or piece of paper and say, 'Look this is what you said' and that gave some leverage and force to the argument that over time improved the situation."

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