Aznar: dismisses counter-US defence group

Tuesday April 15, 2003 20:52

by Franco

new Europe ?

JOSÉ MARÍA AZNAR - Spanish prime minister: "Trying to create a military counter-power is a mistake. José Maria Aznar, the Spanish Prime Minister has spoken out against moves by France, Russia and Germany – three countries about to consider forming a ‘defence pole’, following the US-led invasion of Iraq.

Mr Aznar said in an interview with Le Monde that Europe should not build a rival defence pole to counteract the US. He said that no one is interested in having such architecture of defence and that such a plan would not be in the interest of Europe, adding that when Americans and Europeans work together, the world is a secure place.

European unity is not destroyed
Aznar, a political ally of the Americans and British in the war against Iraq, also said that European unity is not destroyed. The Europeans just have different points of view, but if they want to bring them together, that should not be in rivalry with the US. He tried to underline that there is no alternative to the US capacity of defence.

Aznar thinks that Europe simply does not have the military capacities needed. He reminded Le Monde how the Europeans were unable in 1999 to resolve the Kosovo crisis by themselves. He also said that the US remains the biggest economic power in the world and it does not really matter if the Europeans are an American satellite, or not. The Prime Minister stressed that the US took care of European stability and defence after World War II and that they still have the responsibility of the world’s security.

"Trying to create a military counter-power is a mistake", Aznar concluded.

Europe’s future shape
The Spanish Prime Minister thinks that Spain will play an important role in the next decades in the EU and the world. Spain’s big influence in Europe and the Mediterranean is not contradictory with its transatlantic links.

Developing closer transatlantic cooperation is part of the Convention work as well, Aznar pointed out. And the future defence of Europe will shape differently after the arrival of the new member states that will have a word to say regarding defence policy. "The future of Europe will neither be old, or new, but different", he explained adding that the French-German engine is fundamental, but it is not the only one.

Finally, the Europeans have the responsibility of turning the EU into the biggest economic area and they now have the guidelines from the Lisbon Summit to do it. "Unfortunately, Aznar said, we are not applying the formula correctly".

Press Articles Le Monde

Written by Mihaela Gherghisan
Edited by Lisbeth Kirk