The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
MacronandMerkel’sdisplayof unity ahead of crunch EU summit
President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel sought to demonstrate the solidity of the FrenchGerman relationship at a meeting in southern France, one day before a key EU summit that may approve a divorce deal with Britain.
They started with a visit to the headquarters of plane-maker Airbus, widely seen as a symbol of European industrial cooperation, near Toulouse.
The company, which is holding its 50th anniversary celebrations this year, has production and manufacturing facilities in countries including Germany, Spain and Britain.
Mr Macron and Ms Merkel discussed Brexit as EU and British officials were scrambling to strike a deal before today’s summit in Brussels.
The French and German delegations, including key ministers from both governments, were also planning talks on global trade tensions, the fight against climate change, European defence projects and how to defend EU copyright rules, Mr Macron’s office said.
French and German defence ministers will try to elaborate common rules on arms exports during a defence security council.
Both countries decided to halt weapons exports to Turkey after the offensive in north-east Syria last week.
Germany has also banned defence industry exports to Saudi Arabia over the war in Yemen – while France has not.
Last night the pair welcomed members of the European Round Table of Industrialists to discuss the US decision to put tariffs worth 7.5 billion dollars (£5.8bn) on EU goods such as wine, cheese and olive oil, following a green light from the World Trade Organisation in a case involving illegal EU subsidies for Airbus.