PARIS (dpa-AFX) - France's Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu wants to advance cooperation on defense projects between the two countries with his designated German counterpart Boris Pistorius. Lecornu wants to strengthen and deepen defense cooperation between Germany and France with Pistorius, especially on the major security challenges facing Europe and the Atlantic Alliance, the Defense Ministry in Paris announced Tuesday. It also said joint industrial projects include the FCAS air combat system, which will replace the Eurofighter, and the planned MGCS ground combat system, the tank of the future.

The French Defense Ministry said the two ministers would have the opportunity to exchange views during bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Franco-German Council of Ministers this Sunday in Paris. Pistorius, an SPD politician, is expected to succeed Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) on Thursday, who asked to be dismissed on Monday./evs/DP/stw