Belgian officials were putting the final touches to preparations for last Friday's EU summit in Ghent when a call came from the ElysΘe Palace. President Jacques Chirac wanted a photo arranged after his pre-summit meeting with Britain's Tony Blair and Germany's Gerhard Schr÷der.
When the officials contacted 10 Downing Street to discuss the arrangements, however, they were told that there must be no photographs of the meeting whatsoever.
Smaller countries were furious at the news that Britain, France and Germany were planning a mini-summit in advance of the main meeting. "Leaders meet in different combinations all the time and it's no problem. But to meet here, in the same venue as the summit, is sending a particular signal," said one Belgian official.
The three leaders insisted that, as the only three EU member-states likely to become involved in military action against Afghanistan, they were discussing matters that did not concern anyone else. Their three defence ministers met privately a week earlier and chiefs of staff are understood to have met last week.
The Commission President, Romano Prodi, expressed his outrage over the meeting a day before it took place. But he was dissuaded from holding a solo press conference on Friday evening to say it again.
While French, German and British officials remained tight-lipped about the content of the 35-minute meeting, everyone else was asking - what are the big three up to?
According to senior EU diplomats, the answer lies in the rivalry between Mr Chirac and his Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin, who are expected to face one another in a presidential election next year. Mr Chirac wants France to take part in the US-led action in Afghanistan, partly for reasons of national prestige. But Mr Jospin's Green and Communist coalition partners are reluctant to see French forces deployed.
By trumpeting Friday's meeting with Britain and Germany, Mr Chirac hoped to embarrass the prime minister and to enhance his own status as a protector of France's position as a great nation. Friday's meeting is unlikely to represent the start of a regular practice, not least because France, Germany and Britain agree about so little in policy terms.
"If the next meeting of the triangle decided to discuss the idea of a written constitution for Europe, that would be the end of the triangle," said one German official.
France and Germany have a highly institutionalised relationship, with summits every six weeks. The two countries seek to agree a joint position before EU summits and officials in Paris and Berlin work closely together.
Britain has no such relationship with either Germany or France but Mr Blair is planning to intensify contacts, especially with Berlin.
Mr Blair's status within the EU has been enhanced by the events of September 11th, not so much on account of his public performance since then as because Europe's relationship with the US has become more important.
Britain remains Washington's closest ally in Europe and Mr Blair represents a link between the US and the rest of the EU. British officials say that Mr Blair hopes that the present crisis will persuade his voters that the EU is an arena in which Britain can play a more important role and can benefit from its membership.
But they believe it is too early to talk of Britain breaking into the charmed Franco-German axis until much more policy convergence has been achieved.
Smaller member-states will continue to watch the big three with caution and the Belgian presidency adopted a tough negotiating strategy to ensure that last Friday's joint declaration reflected the concerns of states such as Ireland.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has reason to feel pleased with the outcome of Friday's summit. The declaration stresses the role of the United Nations in authorising the campaign in Afghanistan and promises humanitarian aid for those who are suffering both inside and around Afghanistan.
Furthermore, the leaders have watered down a proposal for a European arrest warrant that would make extradition automatic within the EU. The warrant will now apply only to a list of specified crimes, most of which will be terrorist offences.
The Government remains concerned about another element of the Commission's proposed anti-terrorist measures - the possibility that suspects could be detained for lengthy periods without being charged.
But the decision to limit the scope of the European arrest warrant is an important development that could slow down attempts to harmonise criminal justice within the EU.
The European Commission is keen to use the current atmosphere to push through an ambitious programme of integration in the field of justice and home affairs.
But with a weak President, low staff morale and an unhappy public profile, the Commission is not in a strong position to advance its case.
As France, Germany and Britain move closer together, smaller member-states can be forgiven for wishing for a stronger, more politically astute Commission to protect their interests.