PARIS - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz traveled to Paris on his first foreign trip as head of government to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, with the two leaders promising closer defense ties and a reboot of the French-German alliance that has been a driver of European cooperation.

New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to reset ties between their nations and join forces to help strengthen the European Union’s defensive capabilities and competitiveness.

New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a reset in French-German relations to help Europe overcome the "enormous" security and economic challenges it faced during his first trip abroad since taking office to top ally France on Wednesday.