Friday, February 26, 2021
  • About us
    • Write for us
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms of use
    • Privacy Policy
  • RSS Feeds
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us
DefenceTalk
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports
No Result
View All Result
DefenceTalk
No Result
View All Result

Britain backs French plan for European defense force: minister

by Agence France-Presse
May 8, 2018
in Defense Geopolitics News
3 min read
0
Yemen Urges To Create Arab Counterpart Of EU
34
VIEWS

Britain is backing a French plan to create a European military intervention force as a way to maintain strong defense ties with the EU after Brexit, a minister told AFP on Saturday.

British junior defense minister Frederick Curzon said London was “very keen to support” French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan for a force that could be deployed rapidly to deal with crises.

The force, known as the European Intervention Initiative, would be separate from other EU defense cooperation, meaning there would be no obstacle to Britain taking part after it leaves the bloc.

“We’re very keen to support President Macron in this initiative,” Curzon told AFP as he arrived for a meeting of EU defense ministers in Sofia.

“We look forward to sitting down with our French colleagues to work through the ideas that they have formulated for a more efficient and joined up security and defense system across Europe. We think it has a real part to play.”

Twenty-five EU countries signed a major defense pact in December, agreeing to cooperate on various military projects, but it is not clear whether Britain would be allowed to take part in any of them after it leaves the bloc.

London has always resisted moves to create anything resembling an “EU army” but it has also stressed it wants to continue to have close security ties with the EU after Brexit.

Curzon said the intervention initiative could play an important role in this.

“It certainly will help to achieve what we are looking for, which is a deep and special partnership with our European colleagues in defense and security,” he said.

The EU this week announced plans to spend nearly 20 billion euros on defense in its budget for 2021-2027, most of which will go on research and developing new military technologies for the bloc.

But December’s defense cooperation agreement, known by the acronym PESCO, did not include plans for an intervention force.

The EU has had four multinational military “battlegroups” since 2007, but political disagreements have meant the troops have never been deployed.
Paris hopes that by focusing on a smaller group of countries its new initiative will be able to take act more decisively, freed from the burdens that sometimes hamper action by the 28-member EU and 29-member NATO.

“The initiative is a way of cooperating between countries with the right operational or support capacities and which are willing to use them wherever it seems necessary and useful,” French Defense Minister Florence Parly told AFP in Sofia.

Parly used Saturday’s meeting to detail the plan to fellow defense ministers and held one-on-one talks with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to assure her it would not compete with PESCO.

“We had to explain in concrete terms what it involves and reassure some of our partners about the way this initiative is being coordinated with everything the EU is in the process of doing,” she said.

The nine countries that have expressed interest in joining France in the initiative, which reportedly include Germany, Italy, Spain and Estonia, will meet in June to formalize the plan, Parly said.

France has been keen to build a multinational force that could intervene abroad as it did in Mali in 2013.

But Parly said that missions could also include evacuating nationals from hotspots, and that countries unwilling to commit troops to combat could contribute with logistics.

The initiative stands outside PESCO, but Mogherini was at pains to stress that it would be complementary.
“There is full coordination, there is full coherence,” Mogherini said.

“What I see is the intention from the French side to make the future initiative they have in mind perfectly coherent with the work we’re doing on PESCO.”

Tags: britaindefence forceeuropefranceNATOUK
Previous Post

Royal Navy Gets First Unmanned Minesweeping System

Next Post

Turkey Threatens Retaliation Against US If Washington Halts Weapons Sales

Related Posts

Four Taiwan ex-intelligence officers charged with spying for China

Four Taiwan ex-intelligence officers charged with spying for China

February 22, 2021

Four retired Taiwanese military intelligence officers -- including a major general -- have been indicted for spying for China, prosecutors...

Saudi arms producer in defence venture with Lockheed Martin

Saudi arms producer in defence venture with Lockheed Martin

February 22, 2021

Saudi Arabia's state arms producer signed an agreement Sunday with US contractor Lockheed Martin to form a joint venture, a...

Next Post
Russia’s Northern Fleet Receives S-400 Air Defense Systems

Turkey Threatens Retaliation Against US If Washington Halts Weapons Sales

Latest Defense News

United States B-1B bomber training in the Australian Top End

USAF begins retirement of B-1 aircraft, paving way for B-21

February 22, 2021
Four Taiwan ex-intelligence officers charged with spying for China

Four Taiwan ex-intelligence officers charged with spying for China

February 22, 2021
Saudi arms producer in defence venture with Lockheed Martin

Saudi arms producer in defence venture with Lockheed Martin

February 22, 2021
Third NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance Aircraft Arrives at Sigonella

NATO’s first operational UAS flying unit

February 22, 2021
Israel and US begin Arrow 4 development

Israel and US begin Arrow 4 development

February 22, 2021
Norwegian Army Adding 20 CV90s to its Fleet

Norwegian Army Adding 20 CV90s to its Fleet

February 19, 2021

Defense Forum Discussions

  • Royal Australian Navy Discussions and Updates
  • Australian Army Discussions and Updates
  • US Navy News and updates
  • Indonesian Aero News
  • South Korean Navy
  • Russian Navy Discussions and Updates
  • USAF News and Discussion
  • Turkey's future weapons
  • The emerging space technology
  • New Coronavirus threat
DefenceTalk

© 2003-2020 DefenceTalk.com

Navigate Site

  • Defence Forum
  • Military Photos
  • RSS Feeds
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Defense News
    • Defense & Geopolitics News
    • War Conflicts News
    • Army News
    • Air Force News
    • Navy News
    • Missiles Systems News
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Defense Technology
    • Cybersecurity News
  • Military Photos
  • Defense Forum
  • Military Videos
  • Military Weapon Systems
    • Weapon Systems
    • Reports

© 2003-2020 DefenceTalk.com