France and Germany launch EU "Autonomy" Strategy in Dual (Defense+Civil) High-Tech.

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Just before Strasbourg-HeadQuartered EUROCORPS, a Franco-German inspiration for EU-Core Military Heads of Staff (Etat Major, together with Spain, Poland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Liaison Officers from Italy, Spain, and other EU Member States), celebrates at EU Parliament its 25th Anniversary on September 2017, France and Germany decided to launch an European "Autonomy" Strategy in a growing series of "Dual" High-Tech for Security/Defense, as well as Civic New Tools' purposes.

The Move was made at the Highest and most comprehensive possible Level, during Today's Franco-German Inter-Governemental Summit in Paris, where Both new French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angie Merkel, speaking at a subsequent Press Conference, HighLighted the main points of a Three-fold Plan, for the Next Few Years, to Strengthen European Defence Policy, Military Capabilities, and effective Cooperation.

This July 2017 Franco-German initiative includes a concrete Design for a "Reinforced Cooperation" in Defense between Willing EU Member States, according to the Institutional Mechanism foreseen by the Lisbon Treaty, which entered into force on 2010, but Decided to be Used in this domain only at the Latest EU Summit last June 2017 in Brussels, which also Created a European Defense Fund, (See "Eurofora"s NewsReports from the spot, f.ex. at :....), and was "Shared" Today with several other EU Member States' Ministers, as well as EU's High Representative on Foreign and Security policies, Frederica Mogherini, as Macron noted.

- "It's an Important Moment for our Convergence in this area, underlined the New French President, while the German Chancellor stressed that "it's (also) something that Can really Make Europe Advance Forward", while also helping "Protect" and "Ensure our Security", as they respectively resumed.

- Endorsing a German Collegue's (from Nearby Frankfurt)remark that, at least some Specific Projects, as f.ex. that of the Creation of a "New Joint Fighter" Airplane, "have almost a Parfume of Revolution", Macron "Confirmed" that, indeed, "this is a Profound Revolution", "Long-term and Peaceful"; Able to bring "a European Unity on Projects", while Merkel agreed, and stressed, Moreover, that, in fact, "there is a Multitude of such Joint Projects" to create New Tools :

- I.e., in Addition to that "New Generation" of Joint Fighter Airplanes (Comp. Supra - for which a "RoadMap is expected until the Middle of 2018", in order to have "a Timetable"), there are also Projects for "Euro-Drones", "Satellite Coverage" extended on Military issues, as well as "Cyber-Security" implying "Digital Cooperation", (etc), as Merkel noted. Macron had already evoked, earlier, also "Future Systems of Tanks and Canons ("New generation Indirect Shots", according to an Official Document), ...Helicopters", etc.

Relevant Franco-German Documents add also New "Systems of Maritime Patrols", Earth Observation by "Satellite Images", Scientific "Research" and "Technology" Development, particularly on "Dual Digital Tech.", "including Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Quantum Informatics", etc.
>>> Apparently Emerging through such moves, perhaps the Most Important is a Common Franco-German Political Will to Boost Europe's "Strategic Autonomy" on Defense policy, in the foreseable Future.

This is, indeed, Explicitly noted in the Written Conclusions of the specific Franco-German Council on Defense, (Distributed Today inside the Summit's wider "Press File"), which mentions the Aim of "European Strategic Autonomy" Twice : - Concerning the EU Funding of relevant "Industrial" projects in general, and, in particular, the Space High-Tech. "Military Applications" of "GALILEO" Satellite Navigation System, (equivalent to USA's "GPS", Russia's "GLONASS", China's "Beidou", etc).

Such "Dual" High-Tech. may Enlarge the Participation, in one way or another, of several EU Member States, to those Franco-German Initiatives, as, f.ex., it's indicated, among others, also by the case of Cyprus, which, even if it's one of the few EU Countries which do Not participate at the NATO, (as well as Ireland, Malta, Austria, Finland, Sweden, etc), nevertheless, has Already Started, recently, to cooperate, through a Branch of German Company "PLATH GMbH" (already Present also in France and Switzerland), which was created at Limassol on 2016 ("PLATH Ltd"), for the preparation of Telecommunications' aspects in "Electronic Warfare" and/or "Intelligence" Research and Technology Development due to serve at Modern Smart Tanks used by the German Army.

- "Innovation" was also Stressed by Macron concerning the above-mentioned New generation "Joing Fighter Airplane" project (which seems due to Overcome, in the Future, the current Division of the EU between the French "Rafale" and the Germano-Brittish "Euro-Fighter", etc), "Because these are very Heavy Projects, for our Governments and Armed Forces, which are, afterwards, to be Exported". But, since "Today we have Many Projects and Standards at EU Level, added to Intra-European Competition for International Exports", ("compared" to the USA = "1 to 5", as he pointed out), "We (EU) Need to Simplify things, in order to be More Efficient".

- F.ex., that "New Generation Aircraft's aim is, First of all, to Launch Together a Joint Reearch/Development Policy, and, then, to Use that Both, in our Armed Forces". And, (taking also into account "our Working relations' Policies, which are Different"), thus, "we Can Coordinate (also) our Exports", he added.

+ Merkel stressed, in Addition, that "Germany and France Want to Promote very Actively the European Drone" project, "taking also into account he Modern Forms of Military Operations", where "it's of the outmost Importance, as, f.ex., in Satelite Coverage and in the area of the Army, where there are Convergences".

++ "But there are Also Convergences in Digital Cooperation, which affects the Ministry of Interior and Cyber-Security. We have, here, examined the Whole Area, and Identified Joint Projects", she concluded.
The First Concrete Steps in these Ambitious Directions, are reportedly expected Soon after the forthcoming German Parliamentary Elections of September 24, i.e. from October 2017 and particularly in the Middle of 2018, (i.e., Timely, about 1 Year Before the European Elections of May 2019).

---------------------------------

+ At the Same Moment, the Franco-German duo expressed also its view on the Importance that they Both Recognize to the Euro-American relations, on the Occasion of the New US President Don Trump's visit to Paris, ToNight and Tomorrow Morning, where he has been Invited as Guest of Honor at the Traditional "14th of July" National French Military Parade at the Champs Elysées Avenue, (which, this year, coincides also with the 1st Anniversary of the Horrible Massacre by an ISIS-related Islamist Terrorist which Cowardly Targetted and Killed Many Innocent Civilian People at Nice City, Back on 2016 : See ...).

- Merkel stressed that We (EU) have in Common, with the USA, f.ex. the Fight against Terrorism and several Other Issues, despite some Differences on Climate, etc, where it's important to Talk Together. We (EU) are in Close Cooperation with the USA on Security, and, in this World of the 21st Century, we are all Dependent on Each Other, while Europe's safety, f.ex., canNot Win Alone the Fight against Terrorism, and it's not for nothing that we are NATO Members, as she said.

 - But we understood, recently, that it's also inside the USA that People are raising Questions about Globalisation, and, therefore, we (EU) have also to become Able to Count on Ourselves, she Highlighted.

+ Macron Agreed, in substance, and Added that we must Never Forget History, but ReNew Ties. We (EU and USA) have  Common Struggles and Common Values in this World, even if with Differences and Similarities that we should not forget, but Talk between us. USA is a Strategic Partner for France and Europe in the Fight against Terrorism, for our Collectibe Security, and/or in certain Common Areas in which our Armed Forces work Together, in parallel to various Diplomatic Efforts that we do Together, he observed.

This is in addition to "Multi-Secular Relations" that France has with the USA, he also reminded, evoking something like a Parfume of Lafayette from the 18th Century of the Enlightnment...

In parallel, both France and all the EU don't underestimate the Importance of their Defense relations with the UK, even after "BREXIT", as an Experienced, Top French MEP, politically close to Macron's Government, recently told "Eurofora". (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/topmepdanjeanonsecuritydefenseandbrexit.html).

---------------------------------

Merkel and Macron spoke Shortly After the Recent "G-20" Summit in Hamburg (Comp. "Eurofora"s NewsReports from the spot, f.ex. : ..., etc), where they Also Stressed the Importance of Strategic Cooperation with Russia, particularly in the common Fight against Deadly Islamist Terrorism targetting Innocent Civilian People throughout the EU, Russia (and even USA), as well as on several Other Issues, such as Syria, Ukraine, etc., (on which Presidents Trump and Putin also exchanged views in Hamburg, at their 1st ever Meeting, which was UneExpectedly Long, and Highlighted the Contemporary Reality of a MultiPolar World, marked also by the Presence of Chinese President Xi Jiping, and other Key Partners of the EU all accross the Globe : Comp. ibid).