French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, center left, speaks with German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, center right, during a meeting of EU foreign and defense ministers at the Europa building in Brussels

Published: Monday, Nov. 13, 2017. The European Union is banning arms sales to Venezuela and setting up a system for asset freezes and travel restrictions on some Venezuelan officials to ramp up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro. (Virginia Mayo/Associated Press)

By Lorne Cook | AP November 13

BRUSSELS — European Union countries on Monday officially launched a new era in defense cooperation with a program of joint military investment and project development aimed at helping the EU confront its security challenges.

Twenty-three of the EU’s 28 member nations signed up to the process, known as permanent structured cooperation, or PESCO. Britain, which is leaving the EU in 2019, and Denmark with a defense opt-out were among those not taking part.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini described it as a “historic moment in European defense,” and added that “23 member states engaging booth on capabilities and on operational steps is something big.” Those who didn’t sign up can join later.

Mogherini said countries have already submitted more than 50 joint projects in the fields of defense capabilities and military operations. Britain can take part in some if they are of benefit to the entire EU.

She said PESCO, backed by the EU defense fund, “will enable member states to use the economy of scale of Europe and in this manner to fulfil the gap of output that we have.”

Their signatures are a sign of political will but the program will only enter force once it’s been legally endorsed, probably in December.

German Foreign Minister Gabriel lauded the agreement as “a great step toward self-sufficiency and strengthening the European Union’s security and defense policy — really a milestone in European development.”

Under the cooperation, member countries will submit an action plan outlining their defense aims. Mogherini, EU military chiefs and the European Defence Agency will then evaluate whether the plans are being respected.

Those not living up to their commitments could be kicked out of the group.

EU officials insist this is not just bureaucratic cooperation, but real investment that will help develop Europe’s defense industry and spur research and development in military capabilities that the bloc needs most.

Mogherini said the move would complement NATO’s security aims. The EU, she said, has tools to fight hybrid warfare — the use of conventional weapons mixed with things like propaganda and cyber-attacks — that the military alliance does not have at its disposal.

The EU can also bring its political and financial weight to bear on security challenges, such as the use of development aid in Africa, where NATO has no real foothold.

Under PESCO, EU countries will commit to increase military spending, but not to specifically adhere to NATO’s bottom line of moving towards 2 percent of gross domestic product for defense budgets by 2020. By working together on joint projects, nations will be able to use their combined spending weight to purchase much needed capabilities like air transport or drones.

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YES we are continuing to see these steps towards the EU having it’s own ARMY and COMMAND CENTRE. The UK has block all attempts to establish this, but this want last as BREXIT takes effect.  So keep watching this development as the EU will eventually have it’s own Army.  This move once again is in perfect alignment with Bible Prophecy which has foretold 2500 years ago.  The EU will become a SUPERSTATE with a dominant FEDERAL GOVERNMENT described in the Bible as a Beast System due to its amalgamation of different countries and peoples into one State with one Voice.  Along with this development we expect to see Russia become more involved in Europe with links to a combined army.  Again it’s interesting that they see the development of a EU Army as an important next step.

So WATCH this development as it is a sure sign that we are living in the last days before Christ’s Return.

This EU SUPERSTATE will along with Russia enter into a final conflict with Israel and the Middle East.  Germany is the key country in what Bible Prophecy refers to as the land of “Magog”. They are spoken of militarily as the “King of the North”.  Together the Bible says that Russia and the EU will invade the Middle East in the Last Days.  So Bible Students expect to see Germany and France taking a greater role in leading Europe.  It is also interesting to see Germany taking greater control of a continent they tried to take by war and failed.

Yet again we see in Todays News Headlines words that show how the Nations are fulfilling the latter day alignment of Nations as Prophesied by the Bible.

See this article to learn more about this and the latter day prophecies of the Bible.

See this article for more on this subject: WHAT IS NEXT FOR EUROPE