Merkel, Macron to deepen Franco-German cooperation, strengthen EU

Reuters photo

BERLIN: Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday they wanted to deepen Franco-German cooperation and give the European Union a fresh push towards closer integration.

"We are doing that in order to bring the people in our countries even closer together. And we do it to give the whole of Europe a new boost, to make it even stronger," Merkel said in a joint video podcast as the countries prepare to seal a new bilateral compact. 

After meeting in Paris on Friday, Merkel and Macron talked up the prospect of agreeing on reforms to the eurozone, saying they were committed to strengthening the bloc.