Belgium and France plan agreement between governments on purchase of armored vehicles
© AFP
Belgium and France will conclude a Government-to-Government Agreement in the short term that will serve as a framework for further cooperation in the CAMO project, which stands for ‘Capacité Motorisée’. « That agreement will include provisions on the organization of the economic return for the Belgian defense industry, » said Defense Minister Theo Francken on Thursday after a meeting with his French colleague Sébastien Lecornu in Paris and a visit to the KNDS factory in Roanne.
Source: Belga
Today at 7:57 PM
Our country has entered into a large partnership with France in the CAMO project. The decision to purchase hundreds of new combat vehicles from the French was taken at the end of 2018 by Minister Steven Vandeput (N-VA) and the government of Charles Michel.
In April this year, after a report from the Court of Audit, a whole discussion flared up about the rising cost of the vehicles. The report of the Court of Audit also points out that the economic return for our country is on the low side.
Prime Minister Bart De Wever already pointed out French President Emmanuel Macron to that imbalance during a visit. And Minister of Defense Francken also said that he had already transferred his worries to his French counterpart. He also insisted on a better balance.
The N-VA Minister put that concern on the table again on Thursday during his conversation with Lecornu. « In that consultation I made it clear that a maximum economic return for Belgium is necessary in the further course of the CAMO project, » said Francken.
According to Francken, conversations with his French colleague are « in a constructive atmosphere ». « There is mutual understanding that cooperation should not mean that Belgium is a customer of France, but just a partner who also has industrial and technological opportunities. In this way we can reinforce each other. I am confident that together we can modernize our armed forces and at the same time anchor employment and technology in Belgium, » said Francken.
