Germany and Great Britain want militarily closer cooperation
Germany and Great Britain aim to work closely in the military sector and in strengthening the arms industry. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and his new British counterpart John Healey signed a joint declaration on Wednesday in Berlin.
According to this, both sides aim to cooperate closely to strengthen the arms industry, improve European security, and support Ukraine in its fight against Russian forces. "We want and need to work even closer together," said Pistorius. "We want to establish our relationship on a new foundation."
At the meeting, Healey announced, according to Pistorius, that Britain will join the project for the joint development, procurement, and production of long-range precision weapons. This should close a European capability gap and reduce the costs for all parties involved. So far, Germany, France, Italy, and Poland have been involved in the project, having signed a corresponding intention statement at the NATO summit in Washington.
The initiative for the joint declaration came from Healey, who has only been in office for three weeks in the new Labour government. Healey's Berlin visit was part of a two-day trip that also took him to France, Poland, and Estonia. "These visits send a clear message that European security is a top priority in foreign and defence policy for this government," said Healey. His ministry also stated that both countries would work together in dealing with security challenges, for example in the cyber realm.
During the meeting, Healey mentioned that Great Britain will contribute to the joint development, production, and procurement of long-range precision weapons, aiming to fill a European capability gap and lower costs for all involved. This collaboration in the military sector between Great Britain and Germany, as outlined in the joint declaration, follows the European tradition of close cooperation, much like the previous involvement of Germany, France, Italy, and Poland in the project.
