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Hoon, Rumsfeld seek to patch up US concerns over EU defence

IRNA

 London, Dec. 1, IRNA -- British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon was 
expected to offer assurances over European Union plans for closer 
defence cooperation during a meeting with his American counterpart, 
Donald Rumsfeld in Brussels Monday. 
US concerns that the European initiative to set up its own 
military planning headquarters were due to dominate two-days of talks 
between Nato defence ministers. 
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Rumsfeld voiced concerns that the 
European Union proposal should not undermine the Atlantic alliance. 
"I think there`s no reason for something else to be competitive with 
Nato," he said. 
Following lobbying from Bush Administration, Britain was reported 
to have led the way in pressing that staff at the new EU body will be 
skeletal and work only on projects where NATO has decided not to 
intervene. 
Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg had pressed for a fully- 
blown EU military function independent of existing structures, but 
Hoon was expected to offer the US assurances by insisting the deal 
does not challenge NATO`s supremacy. 
Analysts suggested that his main challenge, as Washington`s 
proclaimed closest ally, was to persuade Rumsfeld that the agreement 
represents the final outcome and not the embryonic "EU army" that 
some in the US fear. 
The plans to establish a headquarters for EU peacekeeping and 
crisis management have been watered down to bring Britain on board, 
by establishing a small cell of EU officials that will work from 
NATO`s existing HQ and be able to draw on the alliance`s assets. 
The EU is hoping to incorporate a common defence policy in its 
planned constitution that is due to be agreed by European leaders 
later this month. 
US Secretary of State Colin Powell is also expected to raise 
concerns that the defence policy will not take on its own momentum 
when he meets EU foreign ministers later this week. 
In Britain, the opposition Conservative Party has criticised the 
plan as a "wasteful duplication" and has warned that it could lead 
to a "dangerous decoupling of America from Europe." 
HC/212 
End