Airbus may still be in trouble, but at least the politicians finally seem to be on the same page. Meeting for a tete-a-tete near Berlin on Friday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Jacques Chirac emphasized that any restructuring plan at the multi-national airplane manufacturer should reflect a fair division of both burden and opportunity.

In a joint statement, the two said they "stand behind Airbus" as the company hammers out a plan to save billions of euros in the coming years. "At the same time, they assume that the effects on jobs, technology and the balance of capabilities in the affected states will be taken into account," the statement continued.

The meeting, originally scheduled as a preparation for the March European Union summit, had quickly grown in importance as the bickering between French and German managers at Airbus intensified throughout the week. The beleaguered jet manufacturer had planned to unveil its cost-saving program "Power 8" on Tuesday, but fears on the German side that a disproportionate number of cuts were going to be made in Germany torpedoed the original timetable.

The two leaders did not come up with a compromise solution, preferring to leave that to company managers, but Chirac stressed that there should be no forced lay-offs and should any factories be closed, workers must be compensated.

Merkel emphasized Airbus's importance to the two countries. "There is a clear political commitment for this European project and in particular of Germany and France," she said at a joint news conference. "We don't want to have to face such difficult decisions again in the near future. The competitiveness of the company is the top priority for us."

German Airbus managers had been particularly concerned that much of the high-tech expertise would end up centered in France and that some factories in Germany would be sold, endangering thousands of workers. In particular, the division of labor on the new, long-range jet A350 was cause for friction. Repeating those concerns on Friday, Germany's Vice Chancellor Franz Müntefering said it was vital that German sites "do not lose innovative strength" and should not merely produce parts "which will at some point be yesterday's products."

Airbus has run into cash-flow difficulties as a result of more than a year's delay in the first deliveries of the A380 super jumbo, which has been beset by wiring problems. The delays have eaten into the company's profits to the tune of over €5 billion.

The restructuring plan is expected to result in extensive job cuts. Earlier this week, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin had spoken of 10,000 job losses -- which would represent almost 18 percent of the company's workforce -- but the comment left both German Airbus managers and politicians scratching their heads. "I can't say where the French prime minister got his information," commented German government spokesman Thomas Steg.