Sweden and Finland participate in allied operations in the Balkans and Afghanistan. Associating Iran These ''a la carte'' partnerships that NATO wants to establish on a case-by-case basis are not welcomed by Paris. ''For Europe, a partnership with Ukraine or Russia is more important than one with South Korea or Japan,'' when French diplomat said. Struggling for every word, Paris has succeeded in ensuring that the names of countries targeted by the United States will no longer be mentioned in the Alliance's final communique. ''Bush can cite them, but it will not have the same subsequent impact,'' NATO sources confirmed. Contrary to Washington's wishes, no new structures will be established, necessitating regular meetings between the allies and new partners. ''Contacts'' could be established with each of them, on a case-by-case basis,'' with Paris' agreement, according to the topics concerned. chemise burberry homme blanc
''The Alliance must be refocused on the conduct of military operations,'' President Jacques Chirac said in a letter addressed to the Alliance's partner countries. Instead of partnerships, the French president proposes establishing a ''contact group'' with countries that provide troops and contribute to reconstruction in Afghanistan. This mimics what is being done in the Balkans. This highly diluted version of the partnership desired by the United States has caused another dispute. According to Paris, the contact group should include a member of the ''axis of evil'' defined by George Bush - Iran. ''It is an important neighbour of Afghanistan,'' France confirms. The United States does not really welcome the idea of granting Tehran the right to inspect what NATO is doing in Afghanistan. chemise burberry brit femme It has pretended to ignore this minor ''provocation'' by the French president, who seems determined to cause trouble. The gesture will be appreciated in Riga, where the shadow of Afghanistan is omnipresent. France is expected to announce to its partners that the French troops deployed in Kabul within the NATO framework can help their Canadian, British and Dutch comrades fighting further South - but only ''on a case-by-case basis'' and at France's discretion. During the summer, when the Canadians, struggling to deal with the Taleban, requested support from a French infantry company, Paris declined. Since then relations have been tense between contributing countries fighting - and suffering heavy losses - in the South and those patrolling more calmly in the North. And there had to be an expression of solidarity. With this in mind, the French battalion is expected to be reinforced by commandos and helicopters. ceinture burberry pas cher homme
By making a gesture in the operational fields - the pragmatic approach of recent years - Paris hopes to secure more in discussions on substantive matters. The problem remains the same - its rejection of NATO's slide towards a ''global security alliance''. France is worried about possible extensions in two directions - one, geographic, with a policy of enlargement and partnership, and the other thematic, with encroachment on the political and civil aspects of crises. As regards the former point, Paris acknowledges the need to involve Alliance non-member countries participating in its operations to a greater extent in its discussions - such as Australia or Japan - without however offering an institutionalized partnership. In Riga, France will also draw attention to the two founding characteristics - military and Euro-Atlantic. It will therefore openly hail the progress made by the NRF (the rapid response force) since it is confined to the military sphere, but it will reaffirm its opposition to NATO's involvement in the civilian sphere. Paris is trying to ''limit the damage'', though NATO has in practice engaged in civilian activity in Afghanistan, humanitarian activity in Pakistan following the earthquake (with French aircraft, no less!) and in political dialogue with the Gulf states.
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