'Don't be afraid' of EU defence ambitions, France tells NATO

U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg pose with NATO Defence Ministers for a family photo during a NATO Defence Ministers meeting at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, October 21, 2021. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told her NATO counterparts on Friday not to fear the European Union's defence plans, saying that the United States will benefit and any European capabilities will strengthen the alliance.

The remarks, made at a closed-door NATO defence ministers meeting and shared with reporters, sought to end months of uncertainty about whether the latest EU effort to develop weapons and forces would be in competition with the alliance.