World Bulletin / News Desk

Germany will stick to its commitment to help fund NATO drones, despite cancelling a plan to buy its own unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere signalled on Tuesday.

"We have signed an agreement and Germany usually sticks to its agreements," de Maiziere said on the sidelines of a NATO meeting.

On May 14, Germany withdrew from purchasing Euro Hawk reconnaissance drones, made by EADS and Northrop Grumman, due to the cost.

That decision raised questions over whether it would continue to back a NATO plan to acquire five high-altitude unmanned Global Hawk planes, also from Northrop Grumman, as part of NATO's Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) project.

"We will now look at the consequences of the Euro Hawk decision on the AGS," the minister said.

The German parliament's budget committee gave its approval last year to a 483 million euro ($630 million) contribution to the NATO drone project.