Leaders of Germany, France and Britain Seek Common Ground on Foreign Policy

Associated Press ^ | Sep 20, 2003 | Colleen Barry

[New Horizon]

BERLIN (AP) - The leaders of Germany, France and Britain held a hastily arranged summit Saturday in attempt to find common ground on stabilizing Iraq and avoid the kind of diplomatic snarl that divided Europe over the war. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac, who ardently opposed military intervention and are seeking a greater U.N. role in Iraq, were joined by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who fell out with the other two during the buildup to the U.S.-led invasion.

The leaders, who made no comment on arrival, planned two hours of talks at the chancellory before a news conference Saturday afternoon.

The three will discuss broadening the international force in Iraq. Next week President Bush is expected to make his case at the U.N. General Assembly for getting more international troops and money to Iraq.

On the summit's eve, the European Union's foreign policy chief was quoted as saying that "strong" EU participation in rebuilding Iraq depended on a clear U.N. mandate and a timetable for handing power to the Iraqis.

"It must lay out the precise political role of the UN," Javier Solana told the German daily Die Welt. "In addition we need a timeline for turning power over to the Iraqis. These are the requirements for a strong EU engagement in the reconstruction."

Solana said Saturday's meeting could give impetus to the formation of a cohesive EU foreign policy - despite continuing differences.

Once again confronting U.S. power, Schroeder and Chirac earlier this month said they opposed the U.N. draft resolution because the United States retains too much control. They are demanding that Washington transfer more authority to the United Nations and move quickly to restore Iraqi sovereignty. Britain shares the U.S. view that elections cannot be rushed.

"The United Nations should quickly assume a stronger role in Iraq," Schroeder told the Ruhr Nachrichten. "But for the moment we are waiting for the discussion in the U.N. Security Council over a new Iraq resolution."

Blair's spokesman said Friday that the summit would not be a drafting session on a new resolution.

More than building bridges to Washington, the summit seeks to mend relations within Europe and avoid disruptive policy splits as the European Union prepares for the addition of 10 new members and a common EU constitution, analysts say.

In contrast to the pre-Iraq war tangle, "They are trying to establish common ground early," said Reinhardt Rummel, foreign policy expert at the German Institute for International Security. "Europe as a whole lost. Now they say they must avoid this sort of worsening situation."

Even on Iraq, the pro-war and anti-war camps appear to be making a greater effort at reaching an understanding - both emphasizing the need for stability, Rummel said.

Blair, at the same time, appears to be trying to strengthen his ties with the Franco-German axis that forms the continent's economic and political core. "Blair understands that Britain cannot be an adjunct to the United States," said Stanley Crossick, director of the Brussels-based European Policy Center.

Striking a conciliatory note, Schroeder wrote in a New York Times op-ed article published Friday that Germans and Americans should "work together to win the peace" and repeated Germany's offer to train Iraqi security forces, assist with reconstruction and provide humanitarian aid.