BERLIN, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair Thursday defended German military reform, which he said would aid multi-national interventions abroad.
After meeting with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Berlin, Blair praised German, British and French initiatives to improve the European Union's military capabilities, reported the German newspaper Die Welt. Those countries are working to prepare rapidly deployable attack groups of 1,500 soldiers within the next few years.
The small battle groups are intended to be set to mobilize within a few days for United Nations or other operations. Blair said such structured interaction will become more important when the European Union expands to include 25 member states.
While praising Germany, the United Kingdom and France, Blair stressed the three must be sure not to exclude any other nations that might have military capabilities to contribute. Persistent work by multiple nations has shown it can be helpful in solving international problems, Blair said.
In addition to military restructuring, Blair called for economic cooperation across Europe and praised Germany for its military role in Afghanistan.
