German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has delivered his opening speech at the Munich Security Conference.

He began by conveying his condolences to the 36 people injured in a car-ramming attack in the southern German city on Thursday.

He also pointed out that the conference was taking place at a "pivotal point" for Germany, which will elect a new parliament in a little over a week.

Steinmeier is a member of the ruling center-left Social Democrats, which have been polling at around 15%, in third place behind the conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

"Let me be absolutely clear, Europe plays a pivotal role in our policy and will continue to do so," Steinmeier said. "Whatever its composition, the next federal government must conduct its work in a manner that respects and promotes European unity."