GERMANY: Chancellor Angela Merkel and Swedish Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt have agreed during a meeting in Berlin that a common energy market is needed in Europe

Record ID: 219586

  • Title: GERMANY: Chancellor Angela Merkel and Swedish Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt have agreed during a meeting in Berlin that a common energy market is needed in Europe
  • Date: 13th January 2007
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) FREDERIK REINFELDT, SWEDISH PRIME MINISTER, SAYING: "I have been mentioning the interest that everyone now is focusing on, Germany especially, on the constitutional treaty. Sweden is one of those countries who have not ratified. We are awaiting the process that will now emerge this spring but we do not have a conflict in Sweden since we have a broad understanding with a broad majority that we support the constitutional treaty. But we are awaiting of course the process that now will be led forward by Angela Merkel this spring."
  • Embargoed: 28th January 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA3D72K032Y94SHCC9SI7AF8NCA
  • Story Text: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Swedish Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt have agreed during a meeting in Berlin on Friday (January 12) that a common energy market is needed in Europe and that dependency should be "minimised."
    "I share and we share the view that we need a common market in Europe which is open," Merkel told reporters at a joint news conference after her first meeting with Reinfeldt in his new position as Swedish prime minister.
    "We believe there should not be any projects of individual states opposed to others and we must create a high degree of transparency in order to minimise our dependency -- Sweden less so, the European Union's dependency overall," Merkel said.
    Germany currently holds the rotating European Union (EU) presidency and Merkel said she was confident Sweden would support Germany during its six-month tenure.
    Regarding the EU constitution, Reinfeldt said that while Sweden had not ratified the treaty, "we are awaiting the process that will now emerge this spring but we do not have a conflict in Sweden since we have a broad understanding with a broad majority that we support the constitutional treaty."
    Merkel and Reinfeldt also discussed the "very close" bilateral relations, the chancellor said, as well as "the European agenda, climate protection and competitive common energy markets."
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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