Germany - Visit by Clément Beaune to Saarland (16 July 2021)

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On July 16, Clément Beaune, Minister of State for European Affairs, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, will be visiting Saarland, on the French-German border, at the invitation of Minister-President Tobias Hans.

This visit will offer an opportunity to emphasize the importance of cross-border cooperation, of learning the lessons of managing the Covid-19 epidemic, and to examine ways to deepen economic and cultural integration in this shared living space by removing structural obstacles to mobility. This October, Saarland will be hosting the plenary meeting of the Cross-Border Cooperation Committee, which will represent an important step in following up on the conclusions of the Franco-German Council of Ministers of May 31 with respect to border issues.

The Minister of State and Minister-President of Saarland will discuss major European issues, especially with regard to the economic recovery, with a presentation of regional projects involving green hydrogen. Mr. Beaune will visit Saarstahl, the region’s main steel manufacturer.

Concerning the Conference on the Future of Europe, Mr. Beaune and Mr. Hans will address the state’s contribution to the French regional conference to be held in Strasbourg this September.

The French language will also be a focus of these discussions, as the Saarland has an ambitious French language-learning strategy (“Frankreich Strategie”) aimed at boosting bilingualism in the state by 2043.