Belgium and France to step up defence cooperation

On the sidelines of the European summit on Monday, Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo and French president Emmanuel Macron signed a memorandum committing to better cooperation between their defence industries.

According to De Croo and Macron, the memorandum of understanding expresses a shared desire to work together on a strengthened European defence union.

Belgium and France have also agreed to be directly involved in the acquisition of French armoured vehicle manufacturer Arquus by Belgian company John Cockerill Defense. Through the Federal Participation and Investment Company, Belgium will take a 10 per cent stake in John Cockerill's defence arm, while the French government will take the same stake directly in the Belgian group.

"The Russian aggression against Ukraine has reminded us that we, as Europeans, need to build a real defence industry. This means helping our defence industry to consolidate its activities and expertise in Europe," De Croo said.

"The Belgian investment in John Cockerill Defense, which should enable it to take over Arquus, follows this line: to create a solid, major European player in the field of national defence."

^{© PHOTO LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP}