"We agreed to form six working groups. These groups will, for the most part, be made up of the summit participants," Merkel said.
Six working groups
Working groups will be created for the following areas:
- Integration courses
- German courses
- Education, training, and training-job opportunities
- Situation of women and girls
- Local integration activities
- Integration activities aimed at strengthening civil society
Focus of integration: better training
Labor Minister Franz Müntefering underscored the fact that efforts to improve training opportunities for and reduce unemployment among foreigners living in Germany is a focus of government integration policy.
In the course of the meeting there was discussion of the problems being encountered in connection with integration as well as praise for exemplary activities being carried out with a view to promoting integration. In this context Chancellor Merkel mentioned integration projects being carried out by the German Soccer Federation.
Talking to each other, not about each other
Merkel noted that the summit participants were agreed that they needed to talk to each other and not about each other, adding that it is the ardent desire of foreigners living in Germany to find open doors here.
Merkel went on to say that efforts also need to be made by those who want to live here and that successful integration can only be achieved if foreigners make the effort to learn German.
