France and Germany have begun ministerial talks aimed at deepening cooperation on defence, artificial intelligence, critical raw materials and Europe’s future budget.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and 10 ministers from each country opened consultations at Augustusburg Palace in Brรผhl on Friday.
The agenda includes the European IRIS-2ย satellite network, joint artificial intelligence projects and efforts to secure supplies of critical raw materials.
Both governments also want to prepare negotiations on the European Union’s next long-term budget, with the aim of reaching an agreement before Europe’s major election year in 2027.
Merz welcomed Macron with military honors outside Augustusburg Palace. Shortly after the ceremony, a French Rafale fighter jet and a German Eurofighter flew over the venue.
The palace, just south of Cologne, has particular significance for Franco-German relations. French President Charles de Gaulle proposed a friendship treaty to German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer there in 1962.
That initiative led to the Elysee Treaty, which remains the foundation of cooperation between the two countries.
According to the famous local story, Napoleon was so impressed by Augustusburg that he regretted that it “did not have wheels,” because otherwise he would have taken it back to France.
Before travelling to Brรผhl, Merz and Macron and their defense ministers met at Nรถrvenich Air Base as part of the Franco-German Defence and Security Council.
The discussions included plans to strengthen nuclear cooperation between the two countries.ย