Airbus plan on Chirac-Mewrkel agenda

French President Jacques Chirac today meets Chancellor Angela Merkel for talks expected to centre on Franco-German tension over a major restructuring plan for European aircraft manufacturer Airbus.

The meeting in Meseberg, north of Berlin, also is likely to address Iran’s defiance of a UN deadline to suspend its uranium enrichment programme and efforts to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.

However, ahead of today’s regular informal talks, the troubles of Airbus have weighed on Franco-German relations.

Airbus this week delayed an expected announcement of its restructuring plan, designed to make up for costly production setbacks that have delayed deliveries of its A380 superjumbo and expected to involve extensive job cuts.

Michael Hauger, a spokesman for Airbus parent EADS, said that “the board will take a decision around the end of February”.

The delay came after French and German shareholders of EADS failed to agree on where to build the A350 XWB – the company’s planned rival to Boeing’s mid-size 787.

Vice Chancellor Franz Muentefering said it was important the German Airbus sites “do not lose innovative strength”. He added that there should not be a situation in which they end up producing only parts “which will at some point be yesterday’s products”.

German officials also have pressed repeatedly for a fair division of expected job cuts across the countries, led by France and Germany, that host Airbus sites.

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said earlier this week that Airbus was seeking to cut about 10,000 jobs, or almost 18 per cent of the workforce.