Robin Cook on the special relationship (19")

The British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, has reaffirmed the special relationship with the US at a meeting with the American Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright.

He said Britain's commitment to Europe would not harm its links across the Atlantic.

Mr Cook was on a flying visit to Washington at the start of the UK's Presidency of the European Union.

"I would stress to our American audience that this does not in any way mean that we are weakening our ties across the Atlantic with the United States," he said.

"On the contrary, I would argue that Britain is now a more valuable ally of the United States because we do have influence in Europe."

Madeleine Albright

Ms Albright made no mention of the special relationship and concentrated her remarks on the Iraq crisis.

Britain is America's closest ally in its hard-line stance against Iraq.

Mr Cook said it had been made clear to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein that Baghdad must accept UN inspections without conditions.

"He is now attempting to impose conditions. That cannot be accepted and will be resisted," added Mr Cook.

Division over Iran

But while there was agreement over Iraq, Mr Cook and Ms Albright clashed over America's policy towards Iran.

Mr Cook said he opposed US plans to penalise non-American companies who invest more than $40m in Iran's energy industry.

But Ms Albright rejected a European bid to dilute the controversial Iran-Libya Sanctions Law.

Mr Cook warned Americans there would be no cooperation from European governments on Iran as long as they were threatening to use sanctions.

"We and our European Union partners cannot achieve that partnership with the US while looking down the barrel of a sanctions act gun," said Mr Cook.

During his talks with Ms Albright, Mr Cook presented a list of European initiatives to try to prevent Iran from acquiring weapons of mass destruction.

"Both continents share the same revulsion of the appalling character of the atrocities that have recently been happening in Algeria," he said.
 

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage	©