(MENAFN- Saudi Press Agency) German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande met Saturday to mark 50 years of
friendship between the two nations, even as their struggle to move
the eurozone out of its long-running debt crisis loomed over the
celebration, dpa reported.
'We are at the heart of Europe,' Hollande said in front of 650
spectators in the courtyard of Ludwigsburg palace in south-western
Germany, urging the two nations to forge closer political and
economic bonds.
The two leaders were attending a ceremony to mark the 50th
anniversary of a speech in Ludwigsburg by French president Charles de
Gaulle, in which he famously told the post-war youth of Germany to be
proud of their country and called for friendlier Franco-German
relations.
But the problems of present day Europe could not be escaped, with
the two holding a working lunch on the sideline of the palace
ceremony.
Merkel said governments of the 17-member currency bloc should meet
regularly to discuss ways to increase their competitiveness and align
economic policies.
'How do we achieve more growth?' should be the question at the
forefront of the discussion, Merkel said, adding that countries must
'strictly adhere to their national homework.'
On the newly proposed banking union for the currency area, Merkel
said the two nation's views were 'not apart.' Recently there have
been reports of differences between Paris and Berlin on the timetable
of establishing a supervisory body to oversee the eurozone's 6,000
banks.
Merkel and Hollande said they were still examining the planned
merger between EADS, the parent company of Airbus, and Britain's BAE
Systems to form a new aerospace and defense behemoth. France and
Germany each control 22.5 per cent of EADS.
'Decisions have not been made,' said Merkel. 'France and Germany
remain in a very close contact' on the issue.
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