Bridging the divide over 47 years

1950 - After fighting three wars in 70 years, France and Germany begin plans for the European Coal and Steel Community, the precursor…

1950 - After fighting three wars in 70 years, France and Germany begin plans for the European Coal and Steel Community, the precursor of the European Union.

1963 - Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer sign the Elysee Treaty, which establishes the structure for close Franco-German consultations.

1984 - Chancellor Helmut Kohl and President Francois Mitterrand hold hands on the battlefield of Verdun where France and Germany fought their fiercest battle of the 1914-1918 war.

October 30th, 1990 - The Treaty of Reunification between East and West Germany is signed, despite French and British reservations.

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December 9th, 1996 - Helmut Kohl and Jacques Chirac adopt a "Common Defence Strategy" at the Nuremberg Summit. Le Monde publishes the secret accord, which foresees closer defence co-ordination within NATO and Europe, on January 25th, 1997.

June 1st, 1997 - The French left wins a landslide victory in French parliamentary elections. During the campaign, the new Prime Minister, Mr Lionel Jospin, has opposed Germany's strict interpretation of the Maastricht criteria.

June 9th, 1997 - French Finance Minister, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, angers Germany by postponing France's signature of the "stability pact" at an Ecofin summit in Luxemburg.

June 13th, 1997 - The dispute over the "stability pact" spoils the Poitiers Summit between Chancellor Kohl, President Chirac and Prime Minister Jospin.

June 16th-17th, 1997 - France and Germany reach a compromise at the Amsterdam Summit. A clause on promoting economic growth and employment is inserted in the "stability pact" and a European "social summit" is scheduled for the autumn.

July 8th, 1997 - In his 60th birthday greetings to Mr Jospin, Dr Kohl urges the French Prime Minister to "continue . . . to invest yourself fully in the deepening of European integration . . ."

July 18th, 1997 - On his departure for four weeks' holiday, Dr Kohl criticises German Socialists but praises Mr Jospin, saying he has a "positive" impression of him and that he is a "Socialist filled with much idealism".

July 21st, 1997 - Bonn welcomes French efforts to reach the 3 per cent deficit requirement.

July 25th, 1997 - Mr Jospin promises that the deficit will not surpass 3 per cent in 1998.

August 28th, 1997 - Mr Jospin and Dr Kohl to hold their first bilateral summit in Bonn.