FRANCE: French President Mr Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair agreed yesterday that Iraq had to be disarmed. During talks in the French seaside town of Lr Touquet, they sought to end a tense period in Franco-British relations.
Although they admitted to differences of opinion over Iraq and reforming the Common Agricultural Policy - the question that led to an unseemly dispute in Brussels last autumn - both claimed that more unites than divides them.
After four hours of discussions, Mr Chirac said his meeting with Mr Blair was "particularly warm and positive" and that he had "rarely seen such an entente cordiale". France and Britain will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the entente cordiale treaty next year.
In an allusion to recent remarks by the US Defence Secretary Mr Donald Rumsfeld about "old Europe", Mr Chirac said: "We represent two old civilisations, two old nations, two old cultures, so we know how to soften differences and strengthen areas of agreement."
Mr Blair smiled wanly. It was important "to manage our differences in an amicable, non-aggressive manner", Mr Chirac added.
France and Britain agreed that Iraq must be disarmed, and that its disarmament should be carried out through the UN Security Council, Mr Chirac said.
"From there on, we may differ. . . We believe it is essential to let the inspectors continue their work, all the while taking into consideration any new information given by Secretary Powell [in the Security Council\] tomorrow, or by Messers Blix and Baradei on February 14th."
France still believed it was possible to disarm Iraq through peaceful means, he insisted.
At a difficult time in Franco-British relations, the leaders harked back to their last joint achievement, the defence initiative at St Malo in 1998. That agreement stagnated because the former socialist government in France drastically cut defence spending, and because it took time to settle a dispute over the EU using NATO assets in the Balkans.
Yesterday's eight-page Declaration on Strengthening European Co-operation in Security and Defence reiterates much of the St Malo provisions and foresees a "solidarity clause" that may disquiet the EU's four neutral countries.
Mr Chirac and Mr Blair propose including the clause "making use of all the instruments and structures of the European Union, both civilian and military," in Europe's upcoming Constitutional Treaty.
The other chief innovation of the summit was a commitment "to have one European aircraft carrier permanently available" - although it is not clear what would happen if Britain joined a war and France did not. Britain last week awarded French company Thales one-third of the €3 billion contract to build two British aircraft carriers, and Mr Chirac said France may build a second French carrier within the same arrangement.
Mr Blair looked impatient as Mr Chirac monopolised the press conference, elaborating on their "converging points of view". On the Common Agricultural Policy, Mr Chirac promised: "We're not going to stare at each other like china dogs." But he did not say how they would move forward.
When Mr Blair's turn to speak finally came, he thanked Mr Léonce Desprez, the mayor of Le Touquet, for hosting the summit.
On Monday night, Mr Desprez told dinner guests: "I like the English a lot, on condition that they become a little more European."
The summit left a strong impression that Britain continues to have one foot in Europe and one foot in the United States, while France vacillates between alliance with Germany and alliance with Britain.
Mr Blair apparently did not convince Mr Chirac of the need to invade Iraq, and a confrontation between Paris and Washington remains a distinct possibility.
Mr Blair twice evaded questions about the letter he and seven other European leaders signed in support of Washington last week, saying only that his country supports the European General Affairs Council's January 27th statement on the need to continue weapons inspections.
For his part, Mr Chirac repeatedly refused to answer questions about whether France would join in a war, or whether he would use France's veto to prevent Security Council backing for US-led military action against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. "France will assume her responsibilities when the time comes, and taking account of circumstances," he explained. He said there was "no basis" to reports that Washington threatened Paris and Moscow with economic reprisals if they opposed a war.
Exasperated by a question about whether Iraq was in material breach of resolution 1441, Mr Chirac said: "This is another way of asking the same question ad infinitum. I wonder if it's some kind of game, or if people take me for a simpleton."
