ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain met EDA Chief Executive Claude-France Arnould at the Paris Air & Space Show today to sign an Administrative Arrangement on cooperation between ESA and the European Defence Agency.
The conclusion of the Administrative Arrangement follows the invitation sent by the Head of the European Defence Agency (EDA), Baroness Ashton, to ESA’s Director General to enter negotiations for the establishment of such an Arrangement and its approval by the EU Council and the ESA Council in May and June 2011, respectively.
“I am convinced that an increased dialogue and coordination between the space and defence communities is of mutual interest and will allow European space programmes to better support Europe’s security and defence needs,” said Mr Dordain. “Reinforcing the cooperation between EDA and ESA will allow us to further develop the security dimension of the European Space Policy in coordination with other EU stakeholders.”
