Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited the Herstal Group headquarters in Belgium yesterday, Thursday (February 27, 2025) and met with Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO of Thales Group. While in Herstal, Rutte toured the Thales factory accompanied by Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever. A statement issued by NATO Headquarters in Brussels said that during his visit, the Secretary General emphasized the importance of close cooperation between NATO and the defense industry. He highlighted the importance of the defense industry to the Alliance's security and commended Thales' investment in the next generation of scientists, engineers, and technicians. Rutte also emphasized the urgent need to increase defense production in an increasingly volatile security environment.
Thales SA, commercially known as the Thales Group, is a French multinational aerospace and defense company specializing in electronics. The company designs, develops, and manufactures a wide range of systems, devices, and equipment for aviation and the military, and also operates in the cybersecurity and formerly civil road transport sectors. The company's headquarters are located in the business district of Paris. The group was founded in 1968 as Thomson-CSF and renamed Thales (named after the Greek philosopher Thales) in 2000, due to the company's desire to simplify and improve its brand.
Thales is partly owned by the French state and operates in more than 68 countries. In 2023, the company generated revenues of €18.42 billion, ranking 17th among the world's largest defense contractors, with 53% of its revenue coming from military activities. Patrice Caine was appointed CEO in December 2014.
This comes after NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Chikerinska welcomed European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, to NATO headquarters for a meeting with allies at the North Atlantic Council on Wednesday.
Ms. Chikerinska emphasized the need for Europe to boost defense spending and increase defense production, noting that a stronger European defense will also contribute to strengthening the alliance. NATO and the European Union are indispensable natural partners. She emphasized that efforts to develop the European defense industry and its capabilities must be integrated, coherent, and compatible with NATO, and include non-EU Allies wherever possible.
The Deputy Secretary General also highlighted the crucial role NATO and the European Union have played in helping Ukraine defend itself. She emphasized the importance of further strengthening Ukraine, both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table. Ms. Chekerinska emphasized the importance of continued exchanges between NATO and the EU to enhance transparency on issues of clear common interest and to explore further avenues for cooperation. She welcomed the European Defense White Paper and expressed her hope for working "in a truly collaborative manner" during its implementation.