Germany's Maas confident Franco-German Recovery Fund plan will get EU support

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas expressed confidence on Tuesday that Franco-German plans for a 500 billion euro ($550 billion) Recovery Fund to help Europe out of the coronavirus crisis would get broad agreement from EU partners. "I am very confident," said Maas when asked about plans presented by Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, adding it was good that after differences on how to finance the costs of the coronavirus pandemic, the two had presented joint proposals.

"It is the first step to a European solution, we will have to discuss the details within Europe but we have agreed that we must find a solution quickly," said Maas. ($1 = 0.9131 euros)