25 EU member states agree to boost defence coop.

BRUSSELS, Dec 11 (KUNA) -- The EU Foreign Affairs Council adopted Monday a decision establishing the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) in the defence sector.
PESCO in the area of security and defence policy was introduced by the EU Lisbon Treaty. It foresees the possibility of a number of EU member states working more closely together in the area of security and defence, said the Council meeting in Brussels in a statement today.
This permanent framework for defence cooperation will allow willing and able member states to develop jointly defence capabilities, invest in shared projects, and enhance the operational readiness and contribution of their armed forces, it noted.
25 EU member states participating in PESCO are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden. (end) nk.mt