BERLIN/MADRID (Reuters) – Germany and France will welcome Spain as a full partner in their program to develop a next-generation air combat system, and expect to sign an agreement finalizing the move at the Paris Air Show in June, German government sources said on Wednesday.

Paris and Berlin initially planned to offer Spain only observer status on the program, but changed their plans after extensive discussions with Spanish officials, according to a separate source familiar with the matter.

Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles this week then formally asked to participate as a fully fledged partner in the program, which will also require certain financial outlays.

“The current intention is to sign a tri-national memorandum of understanding on the sidelines of the 2019 Paris Air Show in Le Bourget,” said one of the German sources.

A spokesman for the German Defence Ministry welcomed Spain’s expression of interest, noting that it made sense to work jointly to put future programs on a solid footing. Spain was also a partner in the earlier Eurofighter program.

Reuters