Xinhua News Agency, Paris, August 29 (Reporters Tang Ji, Cui Kexin) France and Germany issued a joint statement on the 29th, announcing that the two countries will launch a high-level strategic dialogue on nuclear deterrence.

French President Macron and German Chancellor Mertz co-chaired the 25th France-German Council of Ministers in the southeastern French city of Toulon that day. After the meeting, the two sides issued the above joint statement. The statement said that the two countries will launch a strategic dialogue led by the French Presidential Office and the German Chancellery, with the participation of the two foreign ministries and defense ministries.

Macron has repeatedly stated that France has an independent and complete nuclear deterrence capability and, given the deterioration of the international security environment and the general awareness of the need for strengthening defence capabilities in Europe, he is ready to open strategic discussions on France¡¯s provision of a ¡°nuclear umbrella¡± to its European allies.

At a joint press conference after the Franco-German Council of Ministers, Mr. Macron said the US was approaching a "deadline to demonstrate its will to end the conflict" and that France and Germany would continue to press Russia. Mr. Merz said the conflict with Ukraine could continue for months and that Germany and France were ready to provide concrete assistance to Ukraine within the framework of a "coalition of volunteers" supporting Ukraine.

Macron also said that at this Council of Ministers, the two countries decided to launch specific and forward-looking projects in various fields such as industry, decarbonization, science and technology, aerospace, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, finance and national defense. Relevant meetings will be held from next month to promote the implementation of related projects.

In January 2003, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Elysée, which laid the foundation for the ¡°engine¡± of European integration, then-Presidents of France Chirac and Germany¡¯s Prime Minister Schroeder decided to establish a mechanism for the Council of Ministers of the Federal Republic of Germany, which includes the leaders and ministers of both the Federal Republic of Germany.