Olaf Scholz Calls For Unified European Arms Industry To Drive Major Projects
Date
1/21/2025 9:07:19 AM
(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 21. We need a
European arms industry which is able to develop major projects
together as it is already done in the field of battle tanks and
fighter jets, Olaf Scholz, federal Chancellor of Germany, said in
his special address during the World Economic Forum in Davos,
Trend
reports.
“It is my objective that every European procurer can enter
existing contracts and the development of arms needs to be pursued
together,” he said.
Scholz went on to add that isolation comes at the expense of
prosperity.
“We are going to defend the free trade as a basis of our
prosperity together with our partners. We discussed this with our
partners in the European Union and the European Commission and
tomorrow I will travel to Paris to talk to Emmanuel Macron. Europe
relies and focuses on a free, fair, global trade and we're not
alone. The fact that the negotiations between the EU and the states
of the Mercosur about a free trade agreement have come to a
conclusion after 25 years and this underlines this message. Just
like the political conclusion of the modernized agreement with
Mexico last Friday was a success for Europe and for Mexico. Less
tariffs, that means more trade, more competition and lower prices,”
said the German chancellor.
Speaking of competition, Scholz said that Europe and Germany
have to make an effort to become more competitive and not solely as
a reaction to development in China or the presidential elections in
the US.
“No, because the world and globalization as a whole have changed
fundamentally. We've seen the rise of serious competitors in all
parts of the world, in Asia, Africa and the South of America. That
doesn't mean that we should engage to undercut competition
according to the motto who pays the lowest wages or who has the
lowest environmental and social standards. But if we want to
preserve as Europeans, if we want to preserve our prosperity, we
need to keep the technological edge and establish it anew. Quantum,
semiconductors, pharma, bio and climate technologies, these are key
technologies and sectors that are needed in Germany being an
industrialized nation,” he added.
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