France, Netherlands Call for European Common Position on Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, August 29, 2002

France, Netherlands Call for European Common Position on Iraq

France and the Netherlands agreed that the European Union should have a common position on the issueof Iraq, visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop announced Wednesday in Paris.

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France and the Netherlands agreed that the European Union should have a common position on the issue of Iraq, visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop announced Wednesday in Paris.

"We are totally in agreement that it is important to reach at a common position of the 15 (EU nations) on Iraq," said de Hoop following his meeting with French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin.

On Monday, United States Vice President Dick Cheney made Washington's latest call for preemptive strikes against Iraq, saying the United States and its allies can not risk inaction on the issue.

However, the Europeans did not hide their reluctance in supporting Washington's threats to launch military attacks against Iraq.

On Tuesday, de Villepin said no military action on Iraq should be launched without a decision of the United Nations Security Council.

"An over-reliance on force did not in itself provide any solutions," said the French foreign minister.

European foreign ministers will meet Friday and Saturday in Denmark for an informal meeting, during which they are expected to discuss problems of the Middle East.

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