In a joint press statement issued after the 45-minute telephone conversation between Chancellor Angela Merkel and new US President Donald Trump on Saturday, the two leaders said they had stressed the "fundamental importance" of the NATO alliance to transatlantic ties, DW reports.
"The leaders recognized that NATO must be capable of confronting 21st century threats and that our common defense requires appropriate investment in military capabilities to ensure all Allies are contributing their fair share to our collective security," according to the statement released by the offices of both leaders.
"Both leaders affirmed the importance of close German-American cooperation to our countries' security and prosperity and expressed their desire to deepen already close German-American relations in the coming years," according to the statement.
Trump accepted Merkel's invitation to attend the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg in July. He said that he looked forward to welcoming Merkel to Washington "soon."