Germany's new Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday stressed the importance of NATO as a political alliance during her visit to NATO headquarters 24 hours after her appointment.

Chancellor Merkel, after meeting with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, said her visit was a sign of the importance Germany attaches to NATO, not only as a military, but also as a political Alliance.

"NATO should be the place where people turn first with member states to discuss political issues of common concern," she told a joint press conference.

Merkel added that unilateral action was possible only after it was clear that all efforts for a joint alliance approach failed.

"Only in that way can we see to it that NATO continues to be a political alliance," she stressed.

Among other topics, the Chancellor and the secretary general discussed the NATO Summits planned for 2006 and 2008, and the future of NATO's involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Source: Xinhua