German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for more cooperation between European countries in their defence efforts during a speech in Prague on Monday (August 29). Scholz said that the existence of many different weapon systems in the European Union was inefficient and made maintenance and repair more expensive and difficult, Reuters reports.
"The uncoordinated shrinkage of European armed forces and defence budgets of the past should now be followed by a coordinated growth in European capabilities," Scholz said during his speech at Prague's Charles University.
Scholz said that Germany was planning to invest 'very significantly' in their air defence in the coming years, saying they would design it in a way, that would allow cooperation with neighbouring countries. "Not only would a jointly developed air defence system in Europe be more cost-effective and efficient than if each of us built our own costly and highly complex systems. It would also be a security gain for Europe as a whole," said Scholz.
Scholz is meeting with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala during his trip to Germany's neighbouring country.
