German EU Minister Hoyer to EuroFora: G8-G20 issues, €uro+Defense in Merkel-Sarkozy Freiburg Summit

    *Offenbourg(Germany)/Angelo Marcopolo/- EU's role in the World, via its Franco-German motor is due to be at the focus of tomorrow's Summit between Chancellor Angie Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy and their Governments at nearby Freiburg, said to "EuroFora" the German Minister for EU Affairs, Werner Hoyer.   

 - "In Freiburg, the No 1 issue is the French Presidency of the G-8 and G-20. We want to organize our cooperation", i.e. "the links to our Biateral relations, and the EU cooperation, on the one hand, and the G2O-G8 Presidency by France on the other side. This is the most important issue",  he stressed from the outset.   

 - "And there, of course we are going also to prepare the European (Union) Council of next week", Hoyer added.     

- In fact, "We are in very close agreement with our French collegues on the questions of the Euro, and the Permanent Stabilisation Mecanism (i.e. also for the post-2013 period). I was very pleased to hear today (sources on) the President Sarkozy say that he has a very same position on EuroBond and EuroTaxes", Hoyer found. "That's the 1st things to prepare for Tomorrow's meeting".

        - "And then, we have to make a 1rst reading of the "Franco-German Agenda 2020", that we prepared Last Year", at the previous Franco-German inter-Governemental Summit, at Elysee Palace in Paris, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from the spot).

        - "We are (just) in the 1st round on this" long-term Program, and "basically, I think, that we are going to make some progres on Bilateral Cooperation on Foreign and Security policy, and Defense policy", he observed, referring also to tomorrow's installation of a German brigade in Strasbourg by French Minister Alain Juppé and his collegue Karl Zu Gutenberg. -"It's nice to see a good cooperation with the new French Minister of Defense", he noted. - "We are trying  to advance on that in recent meetings also in Paris, Warsaw and Berlin he added, opening a window for Weimar triangle member Poland apparently, already a EuroCorps' participant.    

 - As far as Science and High Tech. is directly concerned,  "it's ..on general terms on the Franco-German Agenda, it's going to be on the table tomorrow, but I don't see any new specific point right now.. We need to take Decisions there" on that matter. We have to see the implementation of what we decided last year . For me it's very important to say that, after the (2009) Declarations, we have also to see their Follow-up to see what comes out of it", Hoyer underlined, (while new French Foreign Minister, Michele Alliot Marie earlier also spoke about the some 80 project areas of the 2020 Franco-German Agenda, reportedly waitiing fdecisions).   

 - However, "of course, at this very moment there is much talk about the Gobalisation process, France has the Presidency of the G8 and G20 or G 30 (if our notes are accurate, was it a reference to a possible, and welcome extension to more important countries, including from Africa, etc ?), and it's important to cooperate well with Sarkozy's chairmanship and his team,  the German EU Minister added.    

- "In fact, "I just came from New York, 2 days ago, where I went in order to prepare the incoming German UN Security Council Membership, starting from January 2011, and "I was glad to learn that there was a very good Franco-German cooperation going on there, even if the P5 have also some other responsibilities, he also revealed.     

Hoyer was in Offenbourg, near Strasbourg, for the founding act of the Superior Rhine Trilateral Metropolitan Region, "Oberrhein", together with his French and Swiss collegues, Philippe Richert (Alsace's President and new Minister for Territorial entities) and Peter Maurer, respectively, as well as Baden Wurtenberg's Head, Dr. Mapus, where, after a captivating overview of the area's potential, spectacularly highlighted in the famous Burda Media Tower's 15th floor, and an emotional ceremony with young Children from Families of the Franco-German brigade, they strongly stressed their common wish to strive to develop the innovative region as a Model for European Integration.

(NDLR : Eurofora will come back on this exceptional event with more comprehensive Reports asap).