German and French government ministers met on Monday for the 14th time since 2003, this time in France, where the key topics were finance and economic issues, as well as the situations in Syria and Greece.

Enlarge image French Minister for Foreign Affairs Alain Juppe talks with his German counterpart Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, left, during their meeting at Quai d'Orsay in Paris. (© picture alliance / dpa) What’s important is making solid budgets as the prerequisites for lasting growth and employment possible in all of Europe, Chancellor Angela Merkel underscored after the meeting. This is an area where Germany and France are leading the way, she said. The government ministers taking part in this session of consultations were those directly involved with economic recovery, employment, innovation and jobs.

Clear message for Greece

Chancellor Merkel and President Nicolas Sarkozy called on Greece to implement the savings requirements set by the troika, which is comprised of representatives from the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank. There can be no agreement if the troika proposals are not implemented, both Merkel and Sarkozy agree.

The European Union has been working for months on aid for Greece, but this is conditioned on Greece’s cooperation in resolving the debt crisis. The international troika is checking on the Greek government’s steps and on the savings measures that have been adopted.

Merkel and Sarkozy personally advocated strongly for the aid for Greece, and now something has to happen quickly. “Time is short,” Chancellor Merkel said. Much is at stake for the entire euro region. Substantial funds have been made available to help Greece. Now the political leaders of the country must keep their promises.

The euro is a political project and also a financial one, the Chancellor said. She wants Greece to stay in the euro. There can be no new assistance program, however, if no agreement is reached with the troika.

Standing with the Syrian people

Chancellor Merkel described her reaction to the failure of the Security Council resolution on Syria as not only disappointed but appalled. Referring to Russia, she said that she could not imagine that a policy separate from the Arab League could at this point be successful. The Arab League had stated its position clearly and called for a Syria resolution.

Germany and France would not abandon the Syrian people, Merkel and Sarkozy said. They support the proposal by the foreign ministers of Germany and France to establish a “Friends of Syria Group.”

Close cooperation based on the Elysée Treaty

Germany and France continue to grow closer, a fact that is demonstrated concretely by the communiqués adopted in Paris on space exploration, employment law, and sience and research. The two countries also want to reach an agreement on simplifying their policies on corporate taxation, and the finance ministers submitted a green paper on the topic.

 The German-French council of ministers is based on the Elysée Treaty, the friendship treaty signed by the two countries on January 22, 1963. It calls for the state and government leaders of both countries to meet at least twice a year. Since the 40th anniversary of the treaty in 2003, the government ministers have also been meeting together regularly. Numerous activities and events are planned in this 50th anniversary year.