German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy will meet on January 9 to discuss progress towards a new European fiscal pact, Sarkozy's office confirmed Monday. Sarkozy will travel to Berlin for a working lunch with Merkel, his office said. The two leaders will prepare "the next European deadlines," namely a European Union leaders summit on January 30, the French statementsaid. The meeting will take place a month after 26 of 27 EU leadersagreed to pursue a new fiscal pact committing them to stricter budgetary discipline and closer economic ties. The main aim of the intergovernmental agreement is to restore confidence in the debt-plagued eurozone.
