France lands 1.1 billion euros armoured vehicle deal from Belgium

PARIS (Reuters) - France welcomed a strategic cooperation deal with Belgium under which Belgium will buy 60 armoured Jaguar vehicles and 417 Griffon multi-role armoured vehicles worth 1.1 billion euros (1 billion pounds). French Army Minister Florence Parly said in a statement on Friday evening the decision reflected "the great strategic and operational proximity of our two countries." Parly will meet with her Belgian counterpart on June 29 to discuss the terms of the cooperation deal, which is also expected to include training and the purchase of communications systems. "At 1.1 billion euros, this is the largest investment programme for the land forces," Belgian Defense Minister Steven Vandeput had said in a statement on Thursday. In the Scorpion program, Nexter, Renault Trucks Defense and Thales are key partners on the Griffon and Jaguar combat vehicles. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Toby Chopra)