Brussels: France's Foreign Minister Mr Dominique de Villepin called yesterday for a further United Nations Security Council resolution on Iraq to establish a UN-mandated peacekeeping force.
Speaking to journalists at a meeting in Brussels of EU Foreign Ministers, Mr de Villepin made no direct criticism of the US and British forces which have been running Iraq since the war ended. He said a further resolution from the UN security council was needed and a timetable to give Iraqis the prospect of regaining full sovereignty over their country.
The EU Ministers endorsed proposals from the European Commission to create a trust fund for international donations to Iraqi reconstruction under the control of the UN and World Bank. This would be separate from the fund set up by the occupation authority to fund the Iraqi budget so as to avoid any impression that the EU or other foreign donors were financing the occupation.
A spokesman for the British government stressed that the EU Ministers had welcomed the creation of the Iraqi Governing Council as an important first step towards creating an internationally recognised representative government.
He said the British government's position was that it did not need a further UN resolution to do what it was currently doing in Iraq. He said it was open to France or others to propose further resolutions.
Mr Dick Roche, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, speaking to journalists after the meeting, said he believed a further resolution would be necessary. "If you want to involve the UN more fully, you have to go back to the Security Council."
The Middle East dominated yesterday's discussions. The Foreign Ministers of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Mr Silvan Shalom and Dr Nabil Shaath were scheduled for separate meetings with the EU's Ministers but they did also briefly meet and shake hands with each other.
Mr Roche described their presentations as impressive. He said both men had been given the message that the EU regards implementation of the Quartet roadmap as essential.
He said both Ministers had spoken of the need for symbols to create some sense of normalisation. Israel asked the EU to support its bid to be allowed to resume UEFA football matches.
The EU called for further releases of Palestinian prisoners held by the Israelis. The British Foreign Secretary Mr Jack Straw said he knew from the British experience in Northern Ireland that the issue was sensitive and difficult but it was an important part of implementing the roadmap. In the meeting with Mr Shaath, the EU stressed the need to clamp down on terrorism.
The EU Foreign Ministers also agreed conclusions on Iran which expressed "increasing concern" about the development of Iran's nuclear weapons programme and the risks of proliferation.