Italy's foreign minister Antonio Tajani has voiced support for creating a European defence commissioner and reaffirmed his support for a European army saying it would give the European Union more international clout "also within Nato".
"I back European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen's proposal for a European defence commissioner," Tajani told reporters on the sidelines of an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on Monday.
Tajani said he also supported "a European army" suggesting this would "allow the EU to count more in foreign policy, also within NATO".
"I am in favour of a European defense commissioner, I have always been in favor of European defence. I worked a lot on the industrial aspects when I was European commissioner," Tajani stated.
Nato is an alliance "in which we believe and of which we want to continue to be a part", Tajani underlined.
"A common European defence is not an alternative to Nato but in my opinion makes it stronger," Tajani concluded.
