Minister of Defense Theo Francken (N-VA) called on defense companies in Washington on Tuesday to come to our country. “We don’t have the luxury of saying no,” he said at an event organized by the American think tank Atlantic Council.
Remi Lehmann
Journalist at HLN
Source: Belga
Francken reports on platform X that he visited the Pentagon, the American Ministry of Defense, on Tuesday in Washington. During a meeting with several senior American defense officials, he proposed that Belgian industry be responsible for the production of missiles that Belgium has ordered from American companies. “We made that offer concrete today,” he writes.
He also brought up the defense industry during the Atlantic Council interview. “We don’t have the luxury of saying no to an American company when it wants to co-produce in Europe. We need missiles and ammunition because supplies are very low,” says Francken. In one go, he calls on American and European defense companies to make their investments in Belgium. “Everyone is welcome. We are not picky,” is the message.
You can give me an extra 10 billion now, but I actually don’t want that. Because then I’m not sure whether it will be spent wisely and efficiently
Francken has often emphasized the importance of a strong defense industry. After all, companies must be able to keep up with the rising demand as a result of the increased defense budgets. “If you go from 1.2 to 2 percent (defense expenditures compared to what our economy produces in a year, ed.) then it is not easy to spend that money efficiently,” the minister continues.
“You can give me an extra 10 billion now, but I actually don’t want that. Because I am not sure whether it will be spent wisely and efficiently. The industry cannot follow suit at the moment.”
