BERLIN, July 17 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that Germany and France will further strengthen defense cooperation.
The remarks came after two days of bilateral meetings held in Germany's western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Merz said Germany and France were opening "a new common path" in nuclear deterrence. Germany will, for the first time this year, send conventional forces to participate in a nuclear exercise conducted by the French armed forces.
He said the cooperation would complement Germany's continued participation in NATO's nuclear-sharing arrangements.
Merz also said the "Coalition of the Willing" supporting Ukraine will hold a military exercise this autumn at France's initiative. Germany will take part in the exercise, with the two countries jointly determining the form of its participation.
On defense industrial cooperation, Merz said the fighter aircraft component of the jointly developed Future Combat Air System (FCAS) had failed due to industrial disagreements. However, the two countries will continue cooperation on key technologies under the FCAS framework, including the Combat Cloud, while stepping up cooperation on integrated air defense systems, long-range weapons, and the Franco-German defense company KNDS.
Macron said Europe cannot move forward unless Germany and France act in concert.
Macron stressed that France would continue to assume full financial responsibility for its nuclear deterrent. "The funding for the French nuclear program will always be provided by France," he said. ■