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UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac have concluded talks aimed at repairing Anglo-French relations. The two leaders emerged after their summit in the Northern French resort of Le Touquet to insist that there was a great sense of friendship between the two nations.
Mr Chirac said that both he and Mr Blair believed Iraq should be disarmed, that it should be done through the United Nations - but that differences remained on how that should be achieved.
Mr Chirac was asked if he would be prepared to use France's veto to stop a second UN resolution sanctioning war with Iraq. He said: "France will fulfil its responsibilities as it sees fit at the appropriate time and in the light of the circumstances at that time."
Mr Blair said: "Of course there are the differences that are familiar to people but it is important to emphasise again the two common points that the president alluded to.
"[Those are] support for the notion of disarming Iraq of weapons of mass destruction and the belief that this is best pursued through the United Nations."
Mr Blair is determined to win over sceptics, including many within his own party, and may be bolstered by a forthcoming US dossier claiming to expose Iraq's deliberate weapons concealment.
On asylum, Home Secretary David Blunkett and his French counterpart unveiled more measures to tackle illegal immigrants following the closure of the Sangatte refugee camp on the French coast.
There were also talks on closer co-operation in certain areas of defence policy.
Britain's aircraft carriers could be used in rotation with those of France, Spain and Italy in combined European humanitarian and peacekeeping missions, under a plan discussed at the talks involving a series of British and French ministers.
