FRENCH DGA and SEPI Agree on Increasing Bilateral Collaboration

The French Armament General Delegation (DGA) and SEPI agreed last week in Granada, during a bilateral meeting about European collaboration on naval construction, to intensify the relationship between IZAR and DCN as a significant step towards the creation of a future european naval consortium. The president of SEPI, Ignacio Ruiz-Jarabo, and the director of cooperation and industrial affaires of DGA, Laurent Giovachini, have leadered this meeting, celebrated in Granada during 2 days, and have concluded the convenience of approaching a french-spanish cooperation on naval construction. IZAR and DCN have been collaborating in submarines programs for more than 30 years, with positive results in technological terms as well as in industrial and commercial aspects. Both delegations agreed on strengthening the cooperation in submarines programmes and to explore possible collaboration in other products, such as systems and surface ships. Therefore, IZAR and DCN have decided to create a strategic committee, responsible for the development of the proposals. These proposals, which are inscribed in the perspective of the european naval industry open to other members, will, in a first stage, deal of new oportunities of bilateral cooperation on submarines. Moreover, SEPI and DGA agreed on supporting this industrial process and to carry out periodical meetings, in order to analize, evaluate and support its best development.