BERLIN, July 7 /TASS/. NATO should stop building up military potential directed against Russia, Sigmar Gabriel, German Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy, said in an interview with the Passauer Neue Presse newspaper the extracts from which were published by the DPA news agency on Thursday.

"We should ask ourselves one question: will the world become better if both sides conduct military maneuvers on the borders; arm themselves and threaten each other?" Gabriel asked. According to him, Europe should launch a new disarmament initiative instead of building up its military potential," the German vice-chancellor added.

He remembered the "eastern policy" pursued by German statesman and politician Willy Brandt. "He knew that there was no sense in provoking each other and focusing on the policy of arms race," Gabriel said.

"His [Brandt’s] policy of detente eventually opened the door for the unification [of Germany]," the vice-chancellor stressed.