U.K.'s Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has called on Germany to play a more active role in global military affairs, said Reuters on Tuesday, as Germany's "historic reluctance" to engage in global military action was now hampering their international importance.

Speaking after talks in Berlin with German Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere, Hammond said that the amount of money that Germany spent on defence was far less than what other European countries were spending in proportion to their economy, and that Germany had a "huge potential" to "deliver more usable firepower to the (NATO) alliance."

"In the case of Germany and Japan, two of the worlds biggest economies, both of them spend a significant amount on defence but have been reluctant historically to engage."

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"When we look around Europe, I don't think there would be many of our European allies who fear Germany from a military point of view or as a security threat."

"(It is about) a willingness to pick up the burdens that go with having a globally important economy... Germany recognising that it can't continue to be the dominant economy in Europe without also significantly increasing its military capability," said Hammond, as cited by The Telegraph.

The United States has long complained that most of their European allies, including Germany, fail to spend the two percent of economic output required by NATO on defence. In Europe, only Britain, France, Greece and Albania meet the target.

Germany's case though is unique as money is not the most important consideration but rather the fact that the Germans have been more conscious of its previous military history than other nations, Hammond suggests.

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Hammond says he want Berlin to "significantly increase its military capability" and praised the "huge strides" the country had already taken to end conscription and create smaller, more professional armed forces.

"I detect a determination that Germany's role in NATO should continue to normalise. It intends to become a more significant player," said Hammond.

n the meantime, Hammond notes, the German government must attempt to muster "public support and political commitment" for an increased military capability before it can engage the international arena.