Sopot, 05/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - A call has been launched for European defence to be strengthened. In Sopot (Poland) on Friday 2 September, Polish Foreign Minister Rados³aw Sikorski told a press conference: “We have sent a joint letter to the head of the European diplomatic corps, Catherine Ashton. This is an initiative by five countries - France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland. It is in line with Poland's efforts to make defence a major issue in European integration.”
The five signatory countries would not, for the moment, reveal the content of the letter. The initiative derives from the idea, launched by France, Germany and Poland in July, of putting in place joint common defence and security policy structures. According to a source close to the matter, “to ensure this common defence, these countries are arguing for a permanent European military headquarters. Even though the United Kingdom opposes the idea, the countries are trying once again. The main thing for them is to form a front for the pursuit of this initiative”. In July, UK Defence Minister William Hague told his EU counterparts that “the United Kingdom will not agree now or in the future to an EU permanent HQ”. He argued that such a move would be costly and would create duplications with existing structures within the NATO transatlantic alliance. The five countries which signed the letter to Ashton have not ruled out “pressing on with these projects, if necessary without the UK”. (V.W./transl.rt)