France | Macron begins a rare state visit: 24 years since the last meeting of presidents in Germany

French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron are starting their visit to Germany today.

During his three-day state visit, Macron will meet the German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier. On the first day, Steinmeier will receive Macron in Berlin at his official residence in Bellevue Castle, German media reports.

At least Germany will broadcast the meeting live Deutsche Welle news channel. Later on Sunday, the presidents will also hold a joint press conference.

At issue is a rare visit, as the French president last visited to meet the German president 24 years ago. At that time the then President of France Jacques Chirac visited Berlin.

Macron has previously visited Germany to meet the Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Macron was supposed to visit Steinmeier already in July of last year, but the trip had to be postponed due to the riots in France.

French and having studied German relations Jeanette Süssin according to the visit, the purpose of the visit is to show unity in a Europe shadowed by the war in Ukraine, but it also has other bilateral goals.

“[Tavoitteena on] find points of convergence between France and Germany on future-related topics such as technology, innovation and artificial intelligence. Democracy and youth are also high on the agenda,” Süss said For the Euronews news channel.

Relations between Germany and France have not always been very warm. According to the researcher, for example, nuclear power is still a difficult issue between the countries.

Germany shut down its last nuclear power plant last year, in stark contrast to France, which meets 70 percent of its electricity needs with nuclear power.

Macron during his visit, he also participates in various ceremonies commemorating, among other things, the unification of East and West Germany. The presidents travel to Dresden in eastern Germany and Münster in the west, where the countries cooperate on technology or security.

“The presidents will celebrate European integration at all stops on the three-day tour,” said a statement from the German presidential office announcing the visit. of Le Monde magazine at the beginning of May.