Germany plans to pay some 11,000 local employees at US military bases in the country who might not receive salaries in October because of the government shutdown in Washington, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday.
“The [German] federal government will initiate an unscheduled expenditure to ensure that October salaries are paid on time,” a ministry spokeswoman said.
A ministry spokeswoman told AFP news agency on Wednesday that it was still unclear whether the US government would send through the money but that the German government would ensure that salaries would be paid anyway.
She said the German government anticipates being reimbursed once the US side does make payment.
Berlin’s contribution is “a sign of solidarity with the US armed forces stationed in Germany and their civilian employees,” she added.
Germany and the US are both members of the NATO military alliance and engage in substantial defense cooperation.
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