Chirac, Schroeder meet on fighting terrorism, EU constitution

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 17, 2004

Chirac, Schroeder meet on fighting terrorism, EU constitution

French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder held informal talks in Paris on Tuesday, focusing on the fight against terrorism and the European Union (EU) constitution.

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French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder held informal talks in Paris on Tuesday, focusing on the fight against terrorism and the European Union (EU) constitution.

The two leaders reviewed last Thursday's attacks in Madrid, which left at least 200 dead and 1,500 injured, and urged EU members to reinforce the European anti-terrorism action plan, drafted after the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, and expressed hope that EU members would improve coordination among EUintelligence services.

"Faced with the threat, with respect for civil liberties and the rule of law, Europe will protect its citizens...We will coordinate better our intelligence and police services and our justice system," Chirac said at a joint news conference with Schroeder after the meeting.

"The international community must rally together to relentlessly fight against terrorism in all its forms. But we must be clear-headed. We must also rally to put an end to conflicts that feed anger and frustration among peoples," he added.

For his part, Schroeder called for better police and security cooperation at the European and transatlantic levels.

"Terrorism can not only be fought with arms and police," said the German chancellor.

"We must also combat the roots of terrorism. I agree with the analysis of President Chirac. We have to win the fight against international terrorism that defies the civilized world. We, the Europeans, have to fight terrorism together," he said.

Chirac also said that France "is not immune from terrorist acts" and called for vigilance in the face of the global terrorist threat.

"France is not currently a specific target, but like all democracies, it is not immune from terrorist acts...We must remain vigilant. The government and all of its services are mobilized. They are working closely with our partners," he said.

Concerning a constitution of the enlarged 25-member European Union, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to reach an agreement by the end of year 2004.

The two leaders said they are glad to cooperate with the incoming Spanish Prime Minister-elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero,leader of the Socialist Party.

Spain and Poland has been criticized by 23 other European countries to have blocked last December an agreement on the EU constitution, protesting the double-majority voting system: 50 percent of countries representing 60 percent of the EU's population.

One day after his victory in Sunday general elections, Zapaterohas signaled to other EU countries Spain's willingness to reach anagreement soon on the constitution.

"Our intention is to accelerate as soon as possible a European constitution," he told Spanish radio Cadena Ser.

The German chancellor, however, ruled out at the news conference the possibility of creating a common European intelligence agency any time soon, adding what is essential is to reinforce the cooperation of the existing services.

The two leaders held their 18th bimonthly talks in the framework of the Blaesheim process initiated in early 2001 to mendrelations strained after an EU summit in southern France Nice.

Source: Xinhua

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