During a press conference in Berlin, Germany, France and Italy say they will "initiate cooperation" on the procurement of raw materials as Europe seeks to reduce its reliance on imports from countries such as China and to "establish its own sovereignty", says Germany's Economy Minister, Robert Habeck. The European Union member states would set up a working group to discuss "the extraction, processing and recycling" of critical raw materials, he went on to say. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES