‘It's good that we are not only involving EU members in our discussions but also including European partners like the United Kingdom, Norway and Türkiye,' says Olaf Scholz
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised EU-Türkiye cooperation when it came to tackling numerous global political challenges.
“We live in very serious times, and it is precisely in times like these that we feel the inestimable value the European Union has for all of us as a community with shared values and shared goals, as a community that has learned from the terrible wars of the past and understood that cooperation, not conflict, will bring us all a better future,” Scholz said Wednesday at a press briefing in Berlin with European Council President Antonio Costa.
”In any case, I consider it a good sign how closely, amicably and trustingly we are working together during this time. It's good that we are not only involving EU members in our discussions but also including European partners like the United Kingdom, Norway and Türkiye,” he added.
Scholz stressed two key issues that have concerned the EU in recent weeks -- support for Ukraine and strengthening Europe's defense capacity.
The outgoing chancellor called on EU countries to strengthen their defense capabilities.
"All EU member states must do more for defense. This is one of the central tasks at the national and European level for the coming years and decades," he said.
He referred to an upcoming EU summit in Brussels, where concrete measures to improve the performance of the European defense industry will be discussed.
The German leader emphasized that the opportunity in Brussels next week would be used to discuss strengthening Europe in the defense sector.
Concrete plans will be developed to make the defense industry more efficient. This topic will be a focus of the upcoming EU summit, according to Scholz.
Costa echoed the chancellor's call to invest in European defense.
“We are between two meetings of the European Council. Last week's special meeting focused on European defense and Ukraine. Next week's meeting will have competitiveness at its core. And both themes are interlinked,” he said.
“Investing in European defense also means investing in our industries, in our technology, in jobs for our citizens. At the same time, Europe needs a strong, competitive economy to defend its interests in a challenging global context. Prosperity and security are two sides of the same coin,” Costa added.
At a summit last week, the EU's 27 leaders reportedly discussed a European Commission proposal for a new loan plan worth €150 billion ($163 billion). It would be used to buy air defense systems, drones and “strategic enablers” like air transport, as well as to boost cybersecurity.
