German-French ministerial meeting postponed to January

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - A Franco-German Council of Ministers meeting planned for next week in Paris has been postponed until January, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told journalists in Berlin on Wednesday.

Hebestreit cited scheduling conflicts for some of the ministers and the ongoing need for coordination on “bilateral issues” as the reason for the postponement, but did not offer further details.

That notwithstanding, at the EU summit in Brussels this Thursday and Friday, a meeting between Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron has been firmly settled, Hebestreit reaffirmed.

There are also considerations that Scholz may travel to Paris without any other Cabinet ministers for another meeting with Macron next Wednesday.

The latest developments come amid media reports about strained relations between Paris and Berlin as a result of disagreements over energy and defense issues.

Scholz and Macron, as well as their Cabinets, were due to meet in Paris next Wednesday for their annual Franco-German ministerial council – the first such meeting since Scholz’s three-party center-left coalition took office late last year.