Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

July 24, 2008 10:57:50 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Merkel, Sarko Keep Heat on Iran

Posted Dec 7, 07 7:53 AM CST in World 

(Newser) – Angela Merkel joined Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday in reaffirming their hard line on Iran's nuclear program despite the new American intelligence assessment that weapons development was halted in 2003. "I don't see why we should renounce sanctions," said the French president at a joint press conference in Paris, with the German chancellor adding that there are still "gaps" in Iran's cooperation.

Both said the international community should keep the pressure on Tehran and continue to negotiate. The meeting came just a day after Merkel used unusually blunt language to knock Sarkozy's plans for a Mediterranean Union of European and African nations. Sarkozy's so-called "Club Med" would undermine the EU's primacy, Merkel said Wedneday. But in Paris the chancellor appeared to back off from her criticisms after Sarkozy reassured her that his vision did not rival the European project.

Sources Deutsche Welle (Germany), New York Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Merkel Will Skip Olympics

    Mar 29, 08 7:07 AM CDT
    Merkel Will Skip Olympics German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other top German officials won't be going to the Beijing Olympics, the Guardian reports, joining Polish and Czech leaders who have pledged to stay away. But while Polish PM Donald Tusk and Czech President Vaclav Klaus said they'll be boycotting the opening ceremony to protest human rights abuses in Tibet, the Germans said their absence isn't political. More »

  • Merkel Crushes Sarkozy's Plans for 'Club Med'

    Mar 14, 08 11:59 AM CDT
    Merkel Crushes Sarkozy's Plans for 'Club Med' Nicolas Sarkozy has been forced to abandon his proposal for what detractors have called a French-led Club Med—a Mediterranean Union of southern European, Middle Eastern, and North African states—under fierce opposition from Germany. Angela Merkel has been a consistent opponent of the scheme, and she threatened a boycott of a Paris summit, says the Guardian. The incident is only the latest clash between Sarkozy and Merkel, signaling a low point in French-German relations. More »

  • Paris-Berlin Relations Turn Sour

    Feb 27, 08 10:08 AM CST
    Paris-Berlin Relations Turn Sour Only a week after Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel called off a scheduled meeting, France and Germany's finance ministers canceled their own summit yesterday, reports AFP. While nobody wants to say that the leaders of Europe's two largest countries are getting testy with each other, disagreements over economic policy and the EU's role have led to markedly tense relations. More »

  • Foes Mobilize to Block Blair as First Euro Prez

    Feb 20, 08 3:14 AM CST
    Foes Mobilize to Block Blair as First Euro Prez Stiff opposition is mounting against the possibility of former British prime minister Tony Blair being named the first president of Europe. A "Stop Blair" website has been launched, and a cross-party caucus in the European parliament is forming to campaign against him. A new treaty about to be ratified creates the new position, although precisely what the job would entail remains unclear. Opposition to a Blair presidency is particularly fierce in Germany, reports the Guardian. More »

  • Sarkozy and Merkel Face Off

    Jul 16, 07 6:02 PM CDT
    Sarkozy and Merkel Face Off French president Nicolas Sarkozy is stepping up to challenge German chancellor Angela Merkel for the leadership of Europe, Der Spiegel reports, and the result  will be first-rate political spectacle. The two alpha heads of state, who met today in Toulouse, have very different styles: Merkel is restrained and accute; Sarkozy pugnacious and hyperactive. More »

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, left, welcomes German Chancellor Angela Merkel for informal talks at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007.(AP Photo/Michel Euler)   (Associated Press)
French president Nicolas Sarkozy, right, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, second left, visit the exhibition of French painter Gustave Courbet, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007 at the Grand Palais museum in...   (Associated Press)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, right, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel react to a question of a reporter during their joint press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007.(AP...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 5)

Tags

Iran  • France  • Nicolas Sarkozy  • Germany  • European Union  • Angela Merkel  • nuclear program  • Mediterranean Union


Loading...

Loading...

Today's Most Popular


Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »