PALMA DE MAJORCA, Spain, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Partners in the delayed A400M military transporter have reached an agreement in principle to rescue the troubled Airbus plane project, Spain's defence minister said on Wednesday.
"I am able to tell you with great satisfaction that we have reached an agreement in principle between the seven countries participating in the A400M programme and the EADS company," Carme Chacon told reporters at the start of a meeting of European Union defence ministers on the island of Majorca.
"At a meeting between defence ministers tomorrow morning, certain technical details that remain open will be finalised and then there will be further meetings at secretary of state (junior minister) level where other details will be decided."
Airbus parent EADS has been negotiating for months with a group of NATO countries including non-EU member Turkey for billions of euros in aid to prevent the A400M project collapsing due to overruns that threatened 10,000 European jobs. (Reporting by Julien Toyer, Editing by James Regan)