Le Touquet, 05/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - During the Franco-British summit on 4 February in Le Touquet, Jacques Chirac was not swayed by Tony Blair's argument that a second resolution of the Security Council on Iraq authorising military action should be accepted. "War is always the worst solution", the French President said, adding that the region certainly does not need another conflict.
In Le Touquet, France and the United Kingdom adopted a new declaration on strengthened European security and defence cooperation. "What we began at St Malo (at the summit on 4 December 1998) has received a significant push forwards", Tony Blair commented. As foreseen, France and the United Kingdom said they hoped an agency for the development and procurement of defence capabilities ("capabilities agency") would be created in order to encourage an "overall military capabilities development approach" for EU Member States. France and the United Kingdom also supported the takeover by the EU, in March this year, of the NATO-led operation in Macedonia, "Allied Harmony", and they will be proposing that the Union should also take over the command of SFOR, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, during the next EU External Affairs Council on 24 February.