France and Germany renew vows

President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined in a celebration of unity on Sunday (Getty Images)

The French and German leaders joined in a celebration of unity on Sunday, hailing a relationship that has brought peace to Europe for 50 years but is suffering its most serious crisis to date.

Taking pause from over two years of crisis management that has strained Franco-German ties, President Francois Hollande welcomed German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the city of Reims in eastern France.

In 1962, former French president Charles de Gaulle met German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer at the city, which was shelled during the First World War.

Reuters