French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday called for strengthening the “sovereignty” of the European Union (EU) in a joint article published two days before a meeting of the Franco-German Council of Ministers, Agerpres reported with reference to AFP.

The main task for the EU is to “ensure that Europe becomes even more sovereign and has the geopolitical capacity to shape the international order,” the leaders of France and Germany wrote in the daily newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the signing. the treaty with Elisey.

In their opinion, Europe needs to invest more in its armed forces and weapons.

“Enhanced European capabilities and stronger European support in NATO make us a stronger partner against the other side of the Atlantic and the United States — better equipped, more effective and stronger,” they emphasized.

After months of hesitation, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz challenged to restore the Franco-German tandem on Sunday in Paris for the 60th anniversary of the Reconciliation Treaty between the two countries.

This agreement made it possible to “overcome decades, even centuries, of bitter rivalry and bloody wars between our two countries in the heart of Europe”, the two leaders claimed.

European sovereignty should be measured not only in military terms, but also based on the ability to “resilience and act forward-looking in strategic areas.”

This involves diversifying into “strategic goods”, they added.