Hoon Braced for 'Difficult Talks over EU Defence Plan'

link: http://www.news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2243485

By John Deane, Chief Political Correspondent, PA News


Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon was facing a potentially difficult meeting today with his US counterpart Donald Rumsfeld after the UK gave its backing to new proposals on the future of European defence.

Arriving in Brussels last night ahead of a two-day meeting of Nato defence ministers, Mr Rumsfeld voiced concerns that the European Union initiative should not undermine the Atlantic alliance.

“Anything that puts at risk that institution (Nato) ... you’d have to have a very good reason for wanting to do it. And I think there’s no reason for something else to be competitive with Nato.”

The US Defence Secretary was giving his first reaction to a plan to enhance the EU’s defence capabilities drawn up by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and his French and German counterparts at a weekend meeting in Naples, Italy.


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