NATO Secretary General: Involving European Non-EU Allies In Defense Industry Is Very Important For European Security

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. (Wikimedia Commons/Lauri Heikkinen/valtioneuvoston kanslia)

JAKARTA - Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Mark Rutter told the European Union (EU) Monday not to create barriers that would prevent companies from NATO countries outside the EU from taking part in the defense industry's push.

The European Commission, EU executive body, last year proposed spending 1.5 billion euros to provide incentives to countries to buy together from European companies and encourage industries to increase capacity.

On the other hand, EU countries have not agreed on how much funding should be reserved for EU companies.

Speaking at a European Parliamentary committee session, Rutte said he praised the plan, called the European Defense Industry Program, but also urged caution.

"We must avoid creating new barriers between allies that will only increase costs, complicate production, and hinder innovation," NATO Secretary General said.

"Involving non-EU allies in the defense industry of the EU is very important, in my opinion, for European security," Rutter continued.

"The cooperation of the transatlantic defense industry makes us all stronger," he said.

Although most EU countries are part of NATO, some of the main members of the military alliance, including the United States, Britain and Turkey, are not EU members.

"When Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran increase their defense industry cooperation to an unprecedented level, it will be an act that harms themselves if they build new barriers among allies," Rutte stressed.