German and French governments are giving away free train tickets to 60,000 young people on a first-come, first served basis to celebrate their 60-year friendship treaty.
About 30,000 Germans and 30,000 French between 18 and 27 can secure free flat-rate tickets for trains in the other country on Monday. The tickets can be used for seven days at any point this year and are meant to encourage young people to travel within the neighbouring country.
“Current events in Europe show how important mutual exchange is for the continuation of a peaceful and democratic Europe,” German Transport Minister Volker Wissing, who launched the initiative with his French counterpart Clément Beaune, said in a statement.
The Élysee Treaty was signed in January 1963 under former German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and French President Charles de Gaulle and signalled the beginning of an era of newly found friendship between the two countries after being enemies in two World Wars.
Close relations between Berlin and Paris remain a priority for both sides and hold high symbolic value.
But in practice, relations between the two governments have been bumpy in recent months due to disagreements in several areas, including energy policy, and consultations between the two governments had to be pushed back by several months last year.
Most recently, Chancellor Scholz invited French President Macron for a private dinner near Berlin last Wednesday to overcome differences and work together more closely.
(Julia Dahm | EURACTIV.de)
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