Latest news with #WeimarTriangle
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Germany and Poland plan closer cooperation despite recent election
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and his Polish counterpart Radosław Sikorski plan to advance cooperation between their two countries despite the victory of eurosceptic Karol Nawrocki in the Polish presidential election. "I assume that we will continue to work together very closely and amicably," Wadephul said on Wednesday during a meeting with Sikorski in Berlin. "Our ties are so strong that democratic elections here or there do not call them into question in any way." The cooperation also applies to France within the Weimar Triangle, for example in coordinating support for Ukraine, Wadephul said. The trilateral group, established in 1991, includes France, Germany and Poland, and is designed to promote cooperation among the three. Nawrocki, who was backed by the conservative nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS), had campaigned with anti-German and anti-European rhetoric. But Wadephul said the German-Polish partnership is so close and solid that he has no doubts that joint future and defence projects could be realized. Poland, he said, had held democratic elections. Germans and Poles are friends, "and we want to continue that," the German foreign minister added. Sikorski: Government controls foreign policy Sikorski described it as a sign of democracy that a representative of the opposition had won the presidential election in Poland. Similar to Germany, the president in Poland is not the head of government but a representative of the country abroad. He implements the policies set by the government. While the Polish president has more powers than the German president, including a veto right, "foreign policy is the responsibility of the government," Sikorski said. Wadephul: Defence and infrastructure are key topics Wadephul highlighted European air defence as a security guarantee for citizens and the advancement of European defence cooperation as key areas for expanding collaboration. This, he said, requires "concrete projects, industrial partnerships and political will that does not stop at national borders." A resilient Europe, he added, also requires efficient infrastructure. Roads, railways and bridges are "not just transport routes but lifelines for our security, including between Germany and Poland." At the same time, these investments would tangibly improve the daily lives of people in Poland, Germany and across Europe, he said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Germany, Poland want closer cooperation despite recent election
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and his Polish counterpart Radosław Sikorski want to advance cooperation between their two countries despite the victory of eurosceptic Karol Nawrocki in the Polish presidential election. "I assume that we will continue to work together very closely and amicably," Wadephul said on Wednesday during a meeting with Sikorski in Berlin. "Our ties are so strong that democratic elections here or there do not call them into question in any way." The cooperation also applies to France within the Weimar Triangle, for example in coordinating support for Ukraine, Wadephul said. The trilateral group, established in 1991, includes France, Germany and Poland, and is designed to promote cooperation among the three. Nawrocki, who was backed by the conservative nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS), had campaigned with anti-German and anti-European rhetoric. But Wadephul said the German-Polish partnership is so close and solid that he has no doubts that joint future and defence projects could be realized. Poland, he said, had held democratic elections. Germans and Poles are friends, "and we want to continue that," the German foreign minister added. Sikorski: Government controls foreign policy Sikorski described it as a sign of democracy that a representative of the opposition had won the presidential election in Poland. Similar to Germany, the president in Poland is not the head of government but a representative of the country abroad. He implements the policies set by the government. While the Polish president has more powers than the German president, including a veto right, "foreign policy is the responsibility of the government," Sikorski said.
Straits Times
12-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
EU and Ukraine defence industries need to integrate more, EU commissioner says
European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius speaks during a press conference, on the day of Weimar Triangle meeting on Ukraine at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Madrid, Spain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo EU and Ukraine defence industries need to integrate more, EU commissioner says BRUSSELS - European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius on Monday called for more integration between the European and Ukrainian defence industries. "To stop Putin, we need to produce more, we need to innovate more, and we need to do that together in the European Union and with Ukraine," Kubilius told officials and industry representatives in Brussels. Speaking at a defence industry forum, Kubilius said that an EU-Ukraine task force will convene for the first time on Monday "to assist integration of our defence industries, to facilitate development of joint projects or joint procurement processes". The commissioner, a former Lithuanian prime minister, said Europe can learn from Ukraine's innovative industry, pointing to advances with drones and artificial intelligence. 'In the future, when Europe will need to take the whole responsibility for the defence of European continent, Ukraine will be the most important part of the new European security architecture,' he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Euronews
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
New German chancellor aims for stronger EU ties with France and Poland
As he travelled to Paris and Warsaw on Wednesday for his first official foreign trip, the new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz did not arrive in the favourable position he had hoped for. The CDU party leader wanted to send a strong message to his partners. However, it took him two rounds of voting on Tuesday to be confirmed as head of government, a first in German political history since World War II. As a result, Merz had to deal with a domestic crisis right before he met with his French and Polish counterparts. The initial stumble is likely to weigh heavily on Merz's shoulders, as he wants to bring about a shift in thinking in his country. The new German chancellor wants to make defence a priority. Since his party's election success in February, Merz has been defending a strong Germany within a strong Europe that is more independent of the US — a break with the past for the staunch Atlanticist. Merz's words about dedicating more resources to defence and discussing extending France's nuclear deterrent are sure to appeal to French President Emmanuel Macron. "Yes, it looks promising, and it's good news because it couldn't be worse than between Macron and Scholz (the previous Chancellor), who didn't get on at all well," explains Sophie Pornschlegel, deputy director of the Europe Jacques Delors think tank. "And so I think that with Merz, who has also said that he is going to focus more on international relations and European affairs, we are going to see a Franco-German renewal", Pornschlegel explained. However, at this stage, it is unclear whether Paris and Berlin can agree on joint projects or whether the aim is to promote national industry. "The question will of course be the details, and we will have to see if France gives up being very Franco-French and really does something European, and also to see if Germany can really let go of its transatlantic tradition, which is still very strong, especially among the conservatives," Pornschlegel added. After Paris, Merz went on to Warsaw. Once again, the gesture was powerful. Poland is the EU country that devotes the largest share of its budget to defence. This is a point on which the two leaders, who come from the same political family, can draw closer. "Poland is a less obvious partner, I think, for Mertz, but he knows, he understands, I think, very well that it is not enough for France and Germany to lead Europe, that the situation is different, that Europe is different from what it was in the past, and that Poland is also necessary as part of this European core," said Piotr Buras, director of the Warsaw office of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). "The fact that he is coming to Poland on the first day of his term as chancellor is, of course, a sign of this increased interest in this bilateral relationship, and I think that he will regard Poland as an important partner on a par with France and the Weimar Triangle," Buras added. The Weimar Triangle is a cooperation forum created in 1991 between France, Germany, and Poland. It was created at a time when Europe was undergoing reorganisation following the fall of the Berlin Wall. But for Buras, relaunching the European machine through this trio is too simplistic. "I think that Merz considers France and Poland, perhaps not as equal partners, but as really important partners for Germany, but he knows that the coalitions of the willing, which will shape the future of Europe, must be more important than that", he told Euronews. Merz's agenda underlines his desire to work at the EU level. On Friday, he will meet the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has declared that "historic" decisions were made during its long-anticipated congress held earlier this week in northern Iraq, though the group has not confirmed whether it intends to disband or disarm as part of a new peace initiative with Turkey. According to a statement carried by Firat News Agency, which is closely affiliated with the outlawed group, the congress was held across two locations in northern Iraq, Suleymaniyah and Duhok, between Monday and Wednesday. The group said further details of the resolutions would be shared with the public shortly. In February, PKK founder and imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan had called for the group to convene a congress to dissolve and lay down arms to bring an end to the decades-long conflict with Turkey. Since the 1980s, the insurgency has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. The PKK, designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States, the European Union and other Western nations, declared a ceasefire shortly after Öcalan's appeal. However, it stipulated that certain conditions must be met before any disarmament, including establishing a legal framework for peace negotiations. Öcalan's messages highlighting his "perspectives and proposals" were read during the congress, Firat News reported. The Turkish broadcaster Habertürk also confirmed the congress locations, both known strongholds of the PKK's senior leadership. Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM Party, which is involved in the current peace initiative, said on Friday that a formal declaration from the PKK could be imminent. "We, too, are awaiting this historic step, this historic decision," said party spokesperson Aysegül Doğan. The latest peace overture was launched in October by Turkish far-right politician Devlet Bahçeli, who proposed that Öcalan could be considered for parole if the PKK renounced armed struggle and formally dissolved. Earlier efforts at reconciliation, including a major initiative in 2015, have ultimately collapsed. The conflict between Turkey and the PKK has led to tens of thousands of deaths since it began in 1984. Its initial aim was to create a separate Kurdish state, but later changed to demands for greater autonomy.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New German government aims to get Franco-German ties 'back on track'
New German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Wednesday that the goal of his trip to Paris with Chancellor Friedrich Merz is "to really get the Franco-German axis back on track." Wadephul is accompanying the newly appointed conservative chancellor to visit Germany's biggest neighbours, France and Poland. "[We will make it clear] that we can set the pace again in Europe, that we can become a source of ideas," he said shortly before departing. Wadephul emphasized the importance of Poland's full involvement in the so-called Weimar Triangle group, along with France. The forum is intended to help the three countries coordinate on cross-border and European issues. In the negotiations on a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, France and the United Kingdom have recently taken the initiative. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (R) and Lars Klingbeil, Minister of Finance and Vice-Chancellor, take part in the first cabinet meeting of the new German government. Kay Nietfeld/dpa
