Brussels, 04/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - The French President Jacques Chirac and German Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder met in Dresden on Thursday to look at joint proposals to boost growth. At the end of the meeting, Mr Schröder told the press that the Italian Presidency's initiative to boost growth by major infrastructure projects had the support of France and Germany, but that both countries felt that it focused too strongly on road infrastructure, and that it should give more room for investment in research and development. Among infrastructure projects planned are, amongst others, the expansion of an airport in Berlin, the building of wind farms and laying high-resolution telecommunications cables. The Franco-German contribution to plans to boost European growth will be officially unveiled at the forthcoming Franco-German ministerial in Potsdam on 18 September.
Mr Chirac and Mr Schröder, who were accompanied by their Foreign Affairs Ministers Dominique de Villepin and Joschka Fischer respectively, also spoke of the international situation. Mr Schröder confirmed that both countries wanted the United Nations to take over responsibility for the process of political rebuilding in Iraq.