Blair's show of unity wrecked as Chirac goes on offensive over Iraq

Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac clashed over the future of Iraq yesterday, despite making a concerted joint effort to "move on" from their bitter dispute over the war.

At their first formal summit since the conflict, a deliberate show of public unity was undermined when the French President declared that America's blueprint for Iraq would not hand over power to the Iraqis quickly enough and called for the United Nations to play a greater role in the country's reconstruction.

M. Chirac wants the occupation of Iraq by coalition forces to be ended as soon as possible and to see the handover of power supervised by a UN special representative. He believes this would allay fears among ordinary Iraqis that the Iraqi representatives working with the US and UK are too closely linked to the occupying powers. "They don't hold sway; they don't appear to be legitimate," said one French government source. "They need a more credible referee."

Mr Blair is sympathetic to the new timetable set out by the US, under which a transitional Iraqi administration would be in place by June next year, with elections for a new government to follow by the end of 2005.

But critics claim the administration will be hand-picked by Washington and will not halt the wave of attacks on coalition forces because it will not win the confidence of the Iraqi people.

M. Chirac's intervention again pushed Mr Blair into the awkward position of trying to bridge the gap between the US and Britain's European Union partners.

At a joint press conference with Mr Blair after a one-day summit in London, M. Chirac welcomed the general direction of the plans for Iraq's future, but added: "It seems to me to be extending over too long a period. It does seems to me a somewhat incomplete policy". Describing the situation in Iraq as "not easy," the French President added that the role of the UN was "not as clearly specified as it should be".

The differences over post-war Iraq jeopardised strenuous efforts by London and Paris to heal the deep wounds caused by Britain's backing for the US intervention in Iraq.

However, M. Chirac tried to rebuild bridges with both London and Washington by striking a conciliatory note over EU plans to enhance defence co-operation.

At the press conference, the French President repeatedly stressed that France had "no problem" with Nato and promised that the Nato alliance would not be undermined by the EU moves. In a joint communique, the Prime Minister and French President said the EU "must be willing and able" to deploy its own rapid reaction force to support UN peacekeepers within 15 days in response to a crisis. It should a have a battlegroup-size force of about 1,500 troops, it said.

However, there was no breakthrough yesterday on the difficult issue of whether the EU defence force would have its own headquarters to plan and run operations - a move opposed by the US, which wants Europe to rely on Nato.

M. Chirac accepted there had been some mistrust in the past between Britain and France, saying he wanted to build a new "confiance cordiale" - an understanding on mutual trust.

Expressing confidence that they would reach agreement on defence, the French President added: "If we try and work together as partners but we don't trust each other then we are likely to fail; when we do trust each other then we find a solution. It's as simple as that. And we are absolutely determined today to show that there is confidence and to rid ourselves of the mistrust and that's what makes me think we shall find a solution."

Mr Blair and M. Chirac outlined plans to celebrate next year's centenary of the Entente Cordiale, a diplomatic relationship begun in 1904 to patch over differences between Britain and France, mainly over the disputed governance of countries of the upper Nile.

They announced that the Queen will make a state visit to France next April, with a return visit by M. Chirac later. The Queen and Mr Blair will attend a ceremony in France in June to mark the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Mr Blair stressed that the EU would only act militarily when Nato did not intervene, saying: "Nato will remain the cornerstone of our defence."

He insisted that Britain could enjoy the benefits of its alliance with both America and Europe. "There is no choice between our transatlantic American relationship and the strength of our position in Europe. A sensible country in the early 21st century with the advantages of Britain would keep and nurture both," he said.