German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has praised French President Emmanuel Macron as a driving force behind European development and Franco-German friendship.
"You are not just a doer, you are an encourager. Where others speak of borders, you speak of horizons," Steinmeier said in Münster, where Macron was awarded the International Award of the Peace of Westphalia.
"I am convinced that the fact that France and Germany are so close today is not least due to people like you. You are always ready to approach Germany, open up discussions and try to draw us out of our shell here and there," Steinmeier told Macron.
Steinmeier drew particular attention to Macron's plea for a common European security policy, common European defence and joint action on internal security.
Macron had invoked European sovereignty long before Russia launched its attack on Ukraine in 2022, the German president said. "A Europe that defends its interests proactively and independently - politically, technologically and militarily."
Macron was awarded the prize on the third day of his state visit to Germany, ahead of talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz centring on European competition policy and cooperation in defence.
The Franco-German relationship has been problematic over the past two years of the Scholz government, with differences over Ukraine and over economic links with the United States and China.