EU to allow US, Canada, Norway join military project

The European Union is set Thursday to allow the United States, Canada and Norway to join one of its military projects aimed at speeding up the deployment of troops and equipment around Europe.

EU defense ministers will give the green light for the three to join the bloc's "military mobility" project, designed to ease bureaucratic procedures which slow troop deployments considerably.

It's the first time that the EU will allow outside countries to join its system of military projects and marks a sign of improving EU-NATO cooperation.

Germany's defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer described it as a big step for Europe, for NATO and for trans-Atlantic relations.

The ministers were also discussing plans to set up a military training mission in Mozambique to help the government there in its fight against extremist rebels.

The UN World Food Program recently warned that the humanitarian crisis caused by the insurgency in northern Mozambique is rapidly spiralling, with more than 950,000 people in urgent need of food aid.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in Brussels that developments in the country were becoming "more and more an issue of concern."

Such a mission in Mozambique could be launched in the second half of 2021, and the EU is weighing whether to supply the army there with military equipment.