Germany, France agree to develop new European fighter jet

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France and Germany agreed to develop a new European fighter jet system which will replace their current fleets, according to a document issued after a Franco-German cabinet meeting in Paris on Thursday.

The two countries are scheduled to finalize a joint roadmap for developing the new aircraft by mid-2018, said the document, which was considered as a part of a raft of new defense and security cooperation measures.

According to the document, an overall contract is expected to be signed before 2019 for the German-led Eurodrone project.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived for a meeting at the Elysee Presidential Palace on July 13, 2017 in Paris, France. /VCG Photo

Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking in Paris after a joint Franco-German cabinet meeting, said she wanted to breathe new life into Franco-German relations, promising closer cooperation between the two European Union heavyweights with the aim of reforming the bloc.

"I believe that we have shown, shortly after the new government here was installed, that we are ready to activate Franco-German relations with a new impetus," Merkel said, adding that she has nothing against the Eurozone budget and talks can be held about creating a European finance minister as proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

However, a Eurozone budget and finance minister would require changes to EU treaties.

Merkel reiterated that major reforms would have to wait until after September elections in Germany, in which her centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is expected to win.

"It is in our greatest interest that all Eurozone countries are strong," she said, as Macron warned Germany that it must move to correct the "dysfunctions" of the Eurozone and give it "the fate it deserves".

The two leaders also addressed issues regarding a common corporate tax reform which Merkel said the two sides are addressing questions on.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron during a news conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany on June 29, 2017. /VCG Photo

Berlin and Paris aim to spell out a first set of related measures until September, focused on creating common ground in the assessment of taxable income for corporations.

Concrete legislation is to be drafted by December, and would then be implemented in 2018, ideally together with other EU partners.

Both leaders also agreed to cooperate on cyber security and develop joint tools.

The ministerial summit in Paris between German and French policymakers is the first of its kind for newly elected Macron, whose government is seeking changes to France’s labor code and struggling to come up with enough spending cuts to meet European deficit targets.

After a morning of discussions with Merkel, Macron will host Trump for talks in the afternoon, before they head to dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant in the Eiffel Tower.

(Source: Agencies)

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