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French President Chirac Arrives in Berlin
French President Jacques Chirac arrived in Berlin Monday for a two-day state visit designed to demonstrate solid French-German relations only days before France takes over the rotating EU presidency.
Chirac arrived from Hanover where he had visited Germany's Expo 2000 world fair, accompanied by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
Chirac and Schroeder told the state television channel ZDF Sunday in Hanover that France and Germany would be pushing for more majority, rather than unanimous decision-making within the European Union.
"Germany and France will not let themselves be divided over this question," Schroeder said.
Chirac said moving towards majority decision-making, which would eliminate one EU nation vetoing decisions, should be no problem.
In recent weeks Paris and Berlin have moved closer together on reforming European institutions, the central issue in France's six-month EU presidency which begins July 1.
"My ambition, to which I am resolved, is, thanks to the Franco-German understanding and friendship, to push ahead and pursue this great European adventure," Chirac told ZDF.
Franco-German relations have been rocky since Schroeder took office in October 1998. They declined sharply from the close relations established by their predecessors, late president Francois Mitterrand and former chancellor Helmut Kohl.
The nadir in relations came in June last year when Schroeder and Britain's Tony Blair issued a joint statement in London touting common reform goals in economic policy.
Since then France and Germany have moved to repair their crucial axis.
On Sunday Chirac and Schroeder declared themselves in agreement on all the subjects broached during their half-hour interview, including the sensitive question of the redistribution of voting rights at the European Council, which brings together the heads of state or government of European Union member states.
As Germany is the largest EU member by population, its strong voting rights have become a delicate issue, however Schroeder said that "it's a question of mathematics not politics".
Chirac was to meet Monday with German President Johannes Rau. On Tuesday he will address the German parliament in the Reichstag building in Berlin. He will be the first foreign head of state to do so since the German government moved from Bonn to Berlin last summer.
Chirac and Schroeder, accompanied by their wives and Expo 2000 director Birgit Breuel, toured the French pavilion and German and European stands during their Hanover visit. They also made a short stop at the Japanese pavilion.
Chirac spent Sunday night with his wife Bernadette in a hotel at the exhibition after dining in a Hanover restaurant with Schroeder and his wife Doris, where they had a television set up to watch France's 2-1 victory over Spain in the European football championship quarter-final match.
Monday, Chirac and Schroeder were due to sign an act founding a Franco-German cinema academy.
After a walk at the historic Brandenburg Gate and a meeting with the mayor of Berlin Eberhard Diepgen, the French leader will give a speech at the city's Humboldt university.
The day ends with an official dinner hosted by President Rau.
Chirac is accompanied on his state visit by Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine, Finance and Economy Minister Laurent Fabius and European Affairs Minister Pierre Moscovici, among others.
Several top business leaders are also travelling with him.
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