Moves made to strengthen WEU

MR Herve de Charette and Mr Charles Millon, France's foreign and defence ministers, yesterday announced new measures to strengthen the Western European Union.

France's six-month presidency (which expires on June 30th) coincides with important developments for European defence, including the expected signing of an agreement between NATO and Russia later this month, the forthcoming EU summit in Amsterdam and preparations for the NATO Madrid summit in July.

The WEU Council, at a one-day meeting in Paris yesterday, endorsed a plan to establish a WEU military committee. This will meet at regular intervals and advise the Council on military matters. It also approved the concept of "framework nations", whereby member states could be put in charge of specific missions under WEU control.

Mr Millon and Mr de Charette said they regretted that the WEU had not acted in the Albanian crisis before the Italian-led multinational force was sent there under UN auspices. However, they said the planned dispatch of a 20-man WEU police force to Albania was a positive development.

France was also sorry that a proposal made last November in Ostend for the WEU to establish "humanitarian corridors" in Zaire did not materialise before Rwandan refugees began returning home en masse.

The WEU, established in 1955 as the defence arm of Europe, has been a largely dormant organisation, overshadowed by the existence of NATO. France, which left NATO's integrated command in 1966, suggested reviving the WEU as a European pillar to NATO.

It was not until 1992 that the WEU was given a role in peace-keeping and humanitarian work. Because of its neutrality, Ireland does not participate in the WEU as a member, but along with Austria, Denmark, Finland and Sweden, maintains observer status.

The Irish foreign and defence ministers did not attend yesterday's Paris meeting because of the forthcoming Irish election.

Diplomats said the "mood music" with the new British ministers has improved, but the Labour Party has not altered Britain's opposition to a Franco-German proposal to merge the WEU with the EU.