Eastern German leaders meet to discuss future of the region

The premiers of the five states in eastern Germany are meeting in Berlin on Thursday to discuss the future of the region, which still lags economically behind the former West Germany.

February's parliamentary elections also showed a huge lurch to the far-right Alternative for Germany party among eastern Germans.

A paper published last month which will serve as a basis for the talks calls for investment into research, less bureaucracy, lower energy costs and a "strong voice" for the former East Germany in the new federal government in Berlin.

The conference of the eastern German premiers will be chaired by the premier of Thuringia, Mario Voigt.

In addition to Thuringia, the states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg, Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are also involved, along with the current commissioner for eastern Germany, Carsten Schneider.

Representatives from the business world have also been invited to the meeting at the Thuringian state representation in Berlin, including the president of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Eastern Thuringia in Gera, Ralf-Uwe Bauer.

The five eastern states were formerly part of East Germany, which fused with West Germany in 1990 and saw an at-times rocky transition from a communist command economy to a Western market economy.

Voigt said in advance that eastern Germany is already a key business location and a centre for innovation.

"Our goal is to set the economic, infrastructural and social course in such a way that the east not only catches up but leads the way," Voigt explained.