EU countries unanimously agree to support France

PanARMENIAN.Net - EU countries agreed Tuesday, November 17, to offer military assistance to France in its effort to respond with force to last Friday’s terrorist attacks, Politico reports.

The unanimous decision by European defense ministers invokes a never-before-used EU treaty provision that offers “aid and assistance” in the event of “armed aggression” on a member country.

French President François Hollande requested the show of solidarity and assistance in a speech Monday to joint session of parliament, saying that France was “at war” and that it would “destroy” ISIL, which has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The EU “expressed its strongest full support and readiness“ to provide all the assistance required, said EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in a joint press conference with French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who spent Tuesday morning briefing his EU counterparts on France’s military operations.

According to a source in the meeting, Le Drian explained that the French had asked to invoke the obscure EU provision instead of NATO’s Article 5 because some of the less hawkish members of Hollande’s cabinet did not want to put pressure on the U.S., and also did not want to further destabilize the Middle East with a NATO intervention.

Mogherini said several countries “have already announced offers or support through material assistance as well as to enhance support in other theaters” to free up additional French capacity.

She added that Paris “will be in contact bilaterally with member states in the coming hours and days to specify the support it requires."

Le Drian stressed that France has got “unanimous support” which will enable Paris to have all the necessary bilateral help from other countries.