23/05/2003 (Agence Europe) - In a speech on 21 May at Dublin's Institute for European Affairs, High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana, spoke of the challenges the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU would face (in the first half of 2004), for example in terms of foreign and security policy. Mr Solana emphasised "Ireland's long tradition of peacekeeping" and said that he was "pleased to have an Irishman, ambassador MacUnfraidh, at the head of the mission in former Yugoslavia". Another major challenge is that of co-operation with the United States in areas such as the fight against arms of mass destruction, rebuilding Iraq, the Middle East peace process, and EU/NATO co-operation in crisis management, said Mr Solana, adding: "by working together on these issues, the EU and the United States will remember what brought us together in the past, and the reasons our co-operation is so absolutely necessary".