The Hague, 11/02/2000 (Agence Europe) - The French Defence Minister Alain Richard and the Dutch counterpart Frank de Grave announced to the press, on Thursday in the Hague, that they will present to the informal meeting of the EU Defence Ministers, on 28 February in Sintra (Lisbon), a joint initiative concerning maritime transport and the numbers of the EU rapid reaction force intends implementing. Europe should be able, if the situation requires, of transporting roughly 60,000 men by sea said Mr Richard, in adding that he himself and his Dutch colleague would request from the Ministers gathered in Sintra to "think together about the maritime capacity of strategic transport necessary for the projection of a future European (rapid reaction) force.