Here are some of the Frenchman's remarks, in an interview with AFP.

Q: After the Iraq crisis, doesn't such a summit without Britain risk further widening European divisions?

A: "There is always a risk that this initiative can be misunderstood. If this meeting ... ends with proposals, with ideas offered and open to others, to all others, it will be a useful meeting.

"We are in the final straight of the convention, which is to produce a European constitution and create the tools for a common foreign and a common defence policy. There are currently a lot of initiatives and contributions. Tuesday's meeting must seen in this context.

"If the question is whether Europe's defence can be built without the United Kingdom and a few other countries, my answer is no. I can't imagine a credible European defence without Britain."

Q: Concretely, what can a "European defence" initiative add that NATO is not already able to offer?

A: "NATO is a military alliance. We, the European Union, are not a military alliance, we are much more than that: an economic, monetary, political Union which must have a military capacity. This is not about creating a European defence against the United States and without taking NATO into consideration.

"I am in favour of consolidating and renewing the transatlantic link on a more balanced basis. In order to do that, we must first prove that the Europeans are capable of organizing themselves and of making bigger efforts."

"We need NATO, but not for every situation. For example since the Amsterdam Treaty the Europeans have proclaimed their intention to assume peacekeeping missions... We are still not able to assume these missions. That is not to do with NATO, that is the Europeans."

Q: If the proposals made by the convention are accepted, what would European defence look like in 2010?

A: "Firstly, by next year we should be able to deploy 60,000 men in the framework of the European rapid reaction force, a crisis management system allowing us to confront situations like those we have seen in the Balkans for 15 years.

"Another project is the European armaments agency... It should be fully operational by 2010... It is something which also responds to the American wish that Europeans make a credible military effort.

"Thirdly, as part of the constitution, a 'solidarity clause' could be implemented at the request of a country which is the victim of a terrorist attack.

"Fourthly, we would have a European foreign ministry, which will develop gepolitical and geostrategic plans.

"Fifthly, I hope the (future EU) treaty will include a flexibility clause allowing certain countries to go further, not outside but within the Union. This collective defence clause would work alongside that of NATO, but would not replace it.

"That is important because there will be 25 of us, with a wide variety of analyses and ambitions on these questions. But I think that in 2010 a majority of countries will be in this European defence."

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