- Title: German defence minister meets her new French counterpart
- Date: 1st June 2017
- Summary: VON DER LEYEN AND GOULARD ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE GERMAN FLAG CAMERAS (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER, URSULA VON DER LEYEN, SAYING: "For both of our countries it's entirely crucial that French and German together bring about more Europe, and that we tread the path together to a European security and defence union." VON DER LEYEN TALKING CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER, URSULA VON DER LEYEN, SAYING: "After all the discussions in the past year, this year 2017 is for us a year of concreteness, where we would like to bring a Europe security and defence ministry on its way. We have made the first important step by establishing a European command centre in Brussels for foreign missions. For the very first time in Europe civilians and military activity will be lead from one source in Brussels." FRENCH FLAG GOULARD SPEAKING VON DER LEYEN LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH DEFENCE MINISTER, SYLVIE GOULARD, SAYING: "We have focused our discussion on two points that are important and complementary: How to mark our common responsibility for the security and the defence of Europe and our citizens, who are facing similar threats. We have seen it after the attacks we have seen that hit Paris and other European cities. The will is there, it is very firm, to work on the projects that were already discussed (by our predecessors)" CAMERAMAN
- Embargoed: 15th June 2017 16:05
- Keywords: defence France Germany Sylvie Goulard Ursula von der Leyen
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Defence,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0036JG4PXJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: German Defence Minister met her new French counterpart for a first bilateral meeting on Thursday (June 1) in Berlin.
France's new Armed Forces Minister Sylvie Goulard vowed previously to press ahead with European defence projects and work more closely with Germany.
A European lawmaker who speaks four languages including German, Goulard is respected in Brussels as a straight talker, having acted as adviser to former European Commission president Romano Prodi.
Von der Leyen said that France and Germany would together "bring about more Europe" and announced the establishment of a new European command centre as a contact point for foreign missions.
Von der Leyen and Goulard are two of four women who are currently heading up defence among the EU's largest economies. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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