The leaders of Britain and France have agreed on the need for Iraq to give up its weapons of mass destruction, but acknowledged differences over how to achieve that.
French President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair say they agreed that any action must have the approval of the United Nations Security Council. But the British leader was not able to convince Mr. Chirac to support a new Security Council resolution that would authorize military action against Iraq.
The French president maintained his view that U-N arms inspectors need more time to carry out their work. He said his country will wait for Wednesday's address to the Security Council by U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell and a report later this month by the chief U-N arms inspectors before contemplating further action. He also refused to say whether France will use its Security Council veto to kill a resolution authorizing military action. The two leaders spoke to reporters after talks in the northern French resort of Le Touquet.
The discussions also included such issues as the struggle against terrorism, economic aid to African countries and work on the formation of the European Union's planned 60-thousand strong rapid reaction force.