Powell Meets EU, NATO Allies on Postwar Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, April 03, 2003

Powell Meets EU, NATO Allies on Postwar Iraq

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United States Secretary of State Colin Powell met with his European Union (EU) and NATO counterparts here on Thursday in a bid to persuade European allies to accept US plans for the future of postwar Iraq and to ease the tension in transatlantic relations.

He was in a series of at least 20 meetings with Russia, and EU and NATO allies at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, with an aim believed to rebuild relations damaged by the US-led war in Iraq, and to discuss the future of Iraq.

Greek Foreign minister George Papandreou, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, told reporters that the 15-nation EU has made clear that the United Nations "must play a central role" in postwar Iraq.

"The EU wants to see a strong UN role in Iraq," he said.

The EU is also concerned about the humanitarian situation in Iraq since the US-led war began two weeks ago, Papandreou added.

Papandreou also said the EU is willing to discuss the peace process in the Middle East and transatlantic relations with Powell.

Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh also stressed a central role of the United Nations in the future of Iraq.

Straw said the United States, Britain, Spain and Portugal at a summit earlier held in Portugal's Azores islands had agreed that the United Nations should be involved in postwar Iraq missions. Lindh said the mission should be a UN-led one.

Powell is looking for support from Europe for US plans for future Iraq and he would like a new UN resolution.

However, France, Germany and Russia, still bitterly opposed to anything that would legitimize the US-led war on Iraq, want a larger UN role in the future government of Iraq than Washington seems prepared to see.

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