Weimar Triangle

Weimar Triangle

The term "Weimar Triangle" refers to a loose grouping of Poland, Germany, and France. The group is intended to promote co-operation between the three countries. It exists mostly in the form of summit meetings between the leaders of these three countries, the most recent of which occurred on February 7, 2011. Previous meetings took place in Poznań, Poland (1998), Nancy, France (1999), Hambach, Germany (2001) and Nancy, France (2005). The Weimar Triangle also involves lower-level connections, such as the annual meeting between Foreign Ministers.

The most recent leaders' summit was hosted by President Bronisław Komorowski of Poland and attended by President Nicolas Sarkozy (France) and Chancellor Angela Merkel (Germany). Issues of renewing regular Weimar Triangle meetings, the Egyptian situation and improving relations with Russia were discussed (Among other topics). Both Germany and France urged Poland to join the pact for competitiveness.

The Weimar Triangle was established in the German city of Weimar in 1991, aimed at assisting Poland's emergence from Communist rule. Attending the meeting were the Foreign Ministers of each state: Roland Dumas of France, Hans-Dietrich Genscher of Germany, and Krzysztof Skubiszewski of Poland.

Thursday, May 19, 2005, the three leaders, Schröder, Chirac and Kwaśniewski met again in the French town of Nancy to discuss EU topics.

On July 5, 2011, Poland, France, and Germany signed an agreement in Brussels to put together a unit of 1,700 soldiers, called the Weimar Combat Group, that will be ready to deploy in crisis zones starting in 2013. The EUbusiness newsletter reports that Poland will command the group, providing the core combat troops and a mechanised battalion, Germany will provide logistical support, and France will contribute medical support. The operational command centre will be based in Mont Valerien, located in a Paris suburb.

Read more about Weimar Triangle:  Foreign Ministers' Summits, Summits of Heads of States, Summits of National Defence Ministers