Paris, 24/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - During the Trans-Atlantic Forum organised on 18 May in Paris by the WEU Institute for Security Studies, headed by Nicole Gnesotto, Gérard Errera, Political Director at the Quai d'Orsay, affirmed above all that the aim of building a "Europe of Defence" was to "complete the construction of Europe" and to strengthen the EU's internal dynamic, and not to "compete with others". Furthermore, he stressed that the "autonomy of decision-making by the EU was essential" and that there could be no hierarchy between institutions placing NATO above the European Union. Alexander Vershbow, US Ambassador to NATO, felt that better links should be established between the Atlantic Alliance and the European Union if one hopes to manage European security more effectively. In his view, the French Presidency to the EU Council will be a "crucial period for completing the institutional business" left over from the NATO summits in Washington and the EU in Helsinki. However, he warned once more against European construction, which is focused "more on institution building than on building new [military] capabilities". Roger Liddle, Adviser to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, said that the latter was not only "pro" strong relations with the United States but also a strong British role in Europe. European defence is "not anti-American but pro-European" and its success is the "best guarantee in the long run of the strength and survival of NATO", he concluded (see programme of colloquy in EUROPE of 6 May, p.4).