EU defense ministers stress internal military cooperation

European defense ministers expressed on Friday the need for Europe to develop more military cooperation.

The ministers held a two-day informal meeting in Ghent, Belgium, on Thursday and Friday under the rotating presidency of Belgium to discuss security and defense issues in Europe.

Belgian Defense Minister Pieter De Crem emphasized the need for European Union member states to cooperate more on the military level, citing the cooperation between the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France, where transportation and tanker aircraft are under a single command.

De Crem called on the member states to develop and optimize their capabilities despite severe budget cuts and also to develop European military action in operations overseas.

The defense ministers called on the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Catherine Ashton, to ask the European Defense Agency to evaluate initiatives already undertaken and think out other additional initiatives.

"The framework of Ghent will lead to formal decision-making process possibly by December 2010," De Crem said, adding that the formal meeting to be held in December will seek to achieve tangible results.

Source: Xinhua