PE631: 2013 Maxi-FDC Germany - France Elysée Treaty - Chancellors and Presidents

Paris, 22 January 1963: Signature of the Elysée Treaty and creation of the Franco-German couple

The Elysée Treaty, signed on January 22, 1963, marks the reconciliation between the two nations. If less than 20 years earlier France and Germany were at war for the third time in less than a century, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and President of the Republic Charles de Gaulle, show by this treaty their desire to reconcile two enemies considered as "hereditary". By setting objectives for cooperation in the fields of international relations, defense and education, this text is foundational for Franco-German relations, a couple which constitute the cornerstone of the European Union. Today, many bilateral structures exist between France and Germany, such as the Franco-German Youth Office (OFAJ) or the Franco-German Council of Ministers, established on the occasion of the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the Elysee treaty.

Berlin, January 22, 2013: celebration of 50 years of Franco-German friendship sealed by the Elysée Treaty

On this day of solemn commemoration of the two French and German governments, the President of the Republic, François Hollande, and the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, met in Berlin, Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 January 2013, for the celebrations of 50 years Franco-German friendship sealed by the Elysée Treaty. In their speech, they reaffirmed the importance of the friendship shared by the two countries: "The relationship between our two countries constitutes the heart of Europe and gives us an exceptional responsibility". On the same day, the Bundestag (Parliamentary Assembly of the Federal Republic of Germany) received the French National Assembly, as well as the Senate and the Bundesrat (German Federal Council) for a plenary session, at the end of which a A Joint Declaration was adopted recalling the common commitment and existing bilateral cooperation within the EU.