- Nineteen prisoners use cutlery to break out of cells at Winchester prison
- France wants progress in Ukraine before Russia returns to G7
- Italy president begins talks to seek way out of government crisis
- Italian PM expected to resign as political chaos deepens
- Russia says US cruise missile test ‘regrettable’
- Kremlin - No date set for Normandy talks on Ukraine despite Macron meeting
- Egypt court hands out 6 death sentences on terror charges
- Putin says Russian nuclear explosion poses no threat
- Russian panel eyes alleged foreign interference in protests
- Gran Canaria wildfire triggers evacuation of thousands of people
- PM Johnson calls on Germany and France to compromise on Brexit
- Sudan's ex-president Bashir arrives at corruption trial
Security in Africa, energy cooperation, data protection and the eurozone's recovery are on the menu of a joint meeting of France and Germany's cabinets in Paris later Wednesday.
The meeting between Chancellor Angela Merkel's "grand coalition" and French President Francois Hollande's Socialists will be the first of its kind since Merkel won a third term as chancellor last year.
The two allies, who have warmer ties now than in the early days of Hollande's presidency, when he tilted at austerity policies, will address a press conference afterwards.
Few major announcements are expected but Merkel and Hollande are expected to confirm the deployment in Mali of 250 troops from a Franco-German brigade.
Germany currently has 170 troops in Mali, most of whom are part of an EU mission to train the Malian Army.
France, which routed Islamist insurgents from most of northern Mali a year ago, still had about 2,500 troops in the country at the start of 2014.
Hollande, who has also deployed troops to contain violence in the Central African Republic, aims to reduce the Malian contingent to a counterterrorism force of 1,000.
The troops from the Franco-German brigade are expected to be used in training, not combat.
Merkel, Hollande and their ministers will also discuss cooperation on energy research, fiscal policy and data security. Germany has been particularly vexed by revelations about US snooping on European citizens, including Merkel.
The chancellor is also scheduled to address the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
DPA
Your Comment