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 The BBC's Robin Oakley"The French and Mr Blair say they're not planning a European standing army"  real 28k  Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon"A more effective European contribution to Nato"  real 28kTory defence spokesman Iain Duncan Smith"A deep disquiet in the US" real 28kAndrew Gilligan reports for the BBC"Kosovo showed the need for change" real 28k |
Summit backs Euro force
Jacques Chirac and the prime minister speaking in London |
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has emerged from an Anglo-French summit in London saying a "new era" has opened in the two countries' military relations.
The prime minister said that the UK and French governments were keen for the rest of Europe to back their plans for a rapid reaction force, which could intervene speedily in local conflicts.
The move to improve defence co-ordination follows the recent conflict in Kosovo where European countries were dependent on US aid to tackle an emergency in their own backyard.
The two governments have strongly denied that strengthening Europe's defence capabilities will undermine Nato.
Click here to read what BBC News Online users think of forging a common European defence policy.
French government officials said they envisaged the rapid reaction force would consist of between 50,000 and 60,000 troops, up to 500 aircraft and 15 warships.
Mr Blair said: "It is not about creating a single European army, it is not about attempting to supplant or compete with Nato."
It was rather an attempt to strengthen what he called "military effectiveness".
'Effective action'
He added that the move would aim to enable "Europe to act effectively where the Alliance [Nato] as a whole is not engaged".
Military transport is one of the key areas of the new co-operation |
Reacting to reports of American fears the Secretary General of Nato, George Robertson, said: "Those in America who are becoming nervous about some of the developments that are taking place are wrong.
"Nothing that is being done in Europe at the present moment threatens the Alliance."
The Anglo-French deal will also see the sharing of resources such as military transport, cookhouses and some training establishments.
Lessons of Kosovo
Speaking ahead of the meeting UK Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon insisted that the US Government supported closer European integration on defence.
"US policy supports the development of a European security and defence identity," he said.
"What we are working for is a more effective European contribution to Nato.
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But Tory defence spokesman Iain Duncan Smith insisted that there was "a deep disquiet" in Washington about what was going on.
"This whole deal plays to a French agenda which has been going for 40 years which is about dividing Nato," he said.
"The whole point is that for the past 40 years Britain has acted very carefully to block any moves that could divide Nato artificially."
Mr Duncan Smith said the US was worried about the development of "an EU-led force - let's call it a European army - eventually acting by default before Nato. In other word Nato not having a block on operations.
"If that happens what you end up with is the arguments in America for them withdrawing from Nato getting stronger and stronger and then you then get the split and divide.
"At the end of the day this isn't going to improve the effectiveness one little bit."
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See also: |
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03 Jun 99 | Europe |
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Europe agrees military co-operation plan |
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08 Sep 99 | UK Politics |
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EU needs stronger defence - Robertson |
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25 Nov 99 | UK |
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Beef war 'ending' |
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