Boosting European defense doesn't mean creating EU army: EU official

Strengthening the European defense system doesn't mean creating a European army, but rather strengthening cooperation between EU member states in order to be more effective, including cooperation with NATO, a top EU official said Tuesday.

"It's about using all the tools we have in order to strengthen our European capabilities in the defense area," European Union(EU) foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said before the informal session of EU defense ministers taking place in Bratislava on Tuesday.

According to Mogherini, the majority of EU members don't see the creation of an EU army as necessary. They rather talk about better use of means already available to the EU.

Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg will also take part in the deliberations led by Mogherini.

"I welcome discussions about the strengthening of European defense and safety, since there is no contradiction between a strong European defense and strong NATO, rather it strengthens the two institutions," said Stoltenberg. However, there is a need to avoid duplicating services, he added.

At his meeting with EU defense ministers, Stoltenberg will also discuss the implementation of the Warsaw Declaration adopted at the July NATO summit that talks about cooperation between NATO and the EU.

EU defense ministers met in Bratislava on Tuesday to discuss the implementation of defense aspects of the EU's global strategy in the field of foreign and security policy, as well as joint procedure vis-a-vis hybrid threats and cyber security. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini is heading the talks.

(APD)