BERLIN (Reuters) - New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sets off on his first trip abroad on Wednesday to France and Poland in a bid to renew relations with the country's top allies and show that Germany is back on the world stage despite a bumpy start to his government.

Friedrich Merz travels to Paris and Warsaw on Wednesday on his first foreign trip as German chancellor, still reeling from a humiliating setback in Tuesday’s government transition that raised early questions about his leadership.

Friedrich Merz plunged straight into international crises on his first full day as Germany’s new chancellor Merz urged India and Pakistan on Wednesday to de-escalate their tensions