Prague, Dec 7 (IANS): Foreign Ministers of the Czech Republic and France agreed that the European Union(EU) should strive for strategic autonomy in its defence capabilities.

"The EU should be more assertive while defending its interests. That is why the strategic autonomy of Europe is important for all of us," Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek said at a conference on Friday at Charles University after meeting with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, Xinhua news agency reported.

He added that the related initiatives shouldn't be weakened by security links formed within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

For his part, Le Drian said that Europe cannot entirely rely on the United States' willingness to engage in regions that are mainly of strategic importance to Europe.

The visiting French foreign minister also noted that strategic autonomy is crucial for the continuation of strong Transatlantic ties.

The two ministers discussed the EU's reforms, security concerns in the Sahel region of Africa, European digital sovereignty, and climate change at their meeting, a press release by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The two ministers also discuss the results of the NATO summit that took place in London earlier this week.