Brussels, 11/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - European Council President Costas Simitis confirmed that the Special EU summit convened by the Greek Presidency on the Iraqi crisis will be held Monday evening in Brussels (even though certain Member States, notably Britain, were rather reluctant to hold a meeting at the level, and would have preferred a meeting of foreign ministers). The 17 February Summit will be prepared, in the morning, by an informal meeting of foreign ministers, the Greek Prime Minister also confirmed, adding that the Summit would also be an opportunity to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East (EU Council President Georges Panpandreou remarked on this that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "is just as important, and should not be forgotten, as part of the problem, as part of the picture on the wider region").
"We will make an effort for Europe to speak with one voice because it is necessary for there to be a single line. I hope that this will happen on Monday … This is, in any case, why we are calling the summit", commented Costas Simitis, according to ANA.
The Greek Presidency has had numerous contacts with Member States over the past few days, and Georges Papandreou met his Austrian counterpart in Athens on Monday Benita Ferrero-Waldner who said that in Austria "public opinion wants to avoid war". She then added: "it's important that the EU remains united and strong on a common position … All Member States I have visited fear destabilisation".