Falconi and Schieb on the First Anniversary of the Aachen Treaty

Thomas Schieb and Jean-Louis Falconi (printscreen:YouTube/RTS)

The German and French ambassadors, Thomas Schieb and Jean-Louis Falconi, respectively, on Jan. 22, the first anniversary of the Aachen Treaty, emphasized the contribution of the German-French partnership to the European project.

The date marks the anniversary of the Élysée Treaty and a year since the signing of the agreement in Aachen, on closer cooperation of the two countries. The Élysée Treaty, signed by French President Charles de Gaulle and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer on Jan. 22 1963, marked historical reconciliation of the two countries in the wake of World War II. The Aachen Treaty, which is an expanded version of the Élysée Treaty, was signed by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“The Élysée Treaty is the means for realizing the will of Konrad Ademanuer and Charles de Gaulle that a lesson be learned from a tragic past, so as to build a future together. That will, at the highest level, is what is important,” Falconi said in an interview with the RTS public service.

Thomas Schieb added that Germany and France traditionally have different positions within the EU, but that they are always able to agree about a common approach. He also said that the situation between Germany and France following WWII differs from the current situation in the region of Western Balkans.

“A great political courage and will were necessary for what we had achieved then,” Schieb added, pointing out that it is important that cooperation and reconciliation take place among the ordinary people, but that there is also a political framework for that.