French President Jacques Chiracsaid today that talks this weekend between France,Germany and Britain would focus mainly on European Unionissues.
Chirac and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi voicedsupport during a telephone call for the current draft of a texton the planned EU constitution, Chirac's spokeswoman said.
Italy currently holds the rotating presidency of the15-member bloc.
"It is an informal meeting on European issues that will alsoallow for discussion on international topics," she said of thethree-way meeting in Berlin.
Both leaders hoped that tough negotiations starting nextmonth on the planned EU constitution "depart as little aspossible from the current constitution draft," she added.
Europe's big three are seen trying to recreate a more unitedEuropean Union leadership at the two-hour summit on Saturdayafter months of bitter rifts over Iraq and EU policies.
Mistrust runs so deep between Chirac and German ChancellorGerhard Schroeder, on one side, and British Prime Minister TonyBlair, on the other, that they are unlikely to overcome alltheir differences on Iraq.
However all three are seen having a common interest indefending proposed EU constitutional reforms against smallermembers seeking to retain voting power disproportionate to theirpopulation size or economic clout.
Berlusconi, criticised in the Italian media for failing totake the initiative as current EU president, earlier said theBerlin meeting was a good idea to overcome past differences.
"It's an informal lunch to blow away the clouds that builtup between France and Germany on one side and Britain on theother," he told reporters earlier.