Chirac, Schroeder Share Same Approach on Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, October 03, 2002

Chirac, Schroeder Share Same Approach on Iraq

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Visiting Germany Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac on Wednesday said they share the same approach on the Iraqi crisis and have decided to strengthen consultations to reduce divergence on European issues.

"We are absolutely hostile to the idea that a (United Nations) resolution indicates from now on the automatic character of a military intervention" on Iraq should Baghdad fail to comply with UN requirements, said Chirac at a joint press conference with Schroeder.

"You can see that the German approach and the French approach are the same," he said. The two had a working diner following a two-hour meeting.

"Without reaching same conclusions in details, our approach and our analysis is totally the same," said Chirac.

He reiterated that the objective of France and Germany is the disarmament of Iraq and the unconditional return of UN arms inspectors.

"As member of the UN Security Council, France naturally does not have the possibility to give her position at present but France reaffirms clearly, as Germany does, that the unique capacity to decide on a military action is that the UN Security Council disposes of," said the French president.

On his part, Schroeder said he is glad with the "comprehension of France" during his election campaign, adding that Germany's position will not change.

The two leaders also dealt with the contentious reform of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and reiterated that their two countries will try to reach a "common position" by next European summit slated to be held in Brussels from October 23 to 24 in order not to hold up the EU's plan to take in 10 new states in 2004.

France -- the CAP's main beneficiary -- opposes a plan proposed by the European Commission that would end automatic production subsidies to farmers, but cash-strapped Germany wants to reduce its budget contributions ahead of enlargement.

They agreed that they will intensify bilateral consultations with two meetings in coming weeks: in France on October 14 and a diner including two foreign ministers in Germany before the end of October after the new government in Berlin is sworn in.

It was the German leader's first meeting with Chirac since he narrowly won re-election on September 22 following a campaign built on opposition to a war against Iraq that the United States has been threatening.

Schroeder's first foreign trip after winning the election was to London last week, where he sought the help of British Prime Minister Tony Blair -- Washington's closest ally -- in rebuilding his country's links with the United States.

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