Powell's Final Push for EU-US Harmony

Meeting with EU officials at the Hague on Friday, US Secretary of State Colin Powell, wrapped-up what will likely be his last official trip to Europe and made one last effort to convince Europeans to move past divisions over the war in Iraq.

While he won a promise from members of the bloc to continue to work towards easing strained ties ahead of US President George W. Bush's February visit, it remained clear that differences would linger.

EU: relations must improve

EU politicians offered many optimistic statements at Friday's meeting, though the behind-the-scenes posturing may have indicated something different.

"We have to intensify the dialogue and rediscover some common ground in the second term of President Bush," said Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency.

EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said she believed Europe and the United States had already made "progress to put the difficult moments of the Iraq crisis behind us," but acknowledged that now was a "key moment in the EU-US relationship."

"We want to give a new breath to these relations," she added.

Opportunity ahead

If EU officials are serious about a new start, they will get their chance when Bush arrives in Europe at the end of February to meet with EU and NATO leaders in Brussels. At a joint press conference after Friday's meeting, Powell told reporters the president was looking to mend fences.

"I think those fissures are now being closed again and I hope that my visit here this week ... contributed to that, and certainly much more will come when President Bush comes to show his commitment to the transatlantic relationship," he said.

Mixed outcome

But Powell's earlier stops in Sofia and Brussels produced only mixed results. In the Belgian capital, Powell criticized six anti-war European NATO members for hurting the "credibility and cohesion" of the alliance by refusing to send officers seconded to NATO to participate in training exercises in Iraq.

On other issues, Powell and his EU interlocuters recommitted themselves to promoting democracy and human rights throughout the broader Middle East and North Africa, ensuring a free and fair re-vote in Ukraine's presidential election and working harder to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Both said the EU was keen to bring the two sides back together as soon as possible -- after Palestinian elections next month -- and move towards discussing the final outline of an eventual peace deal.

Sticking points

In addition, Powell touched upon two issues that have remained a point of contention between the US and certain members of the EU.

He renewed the US case against lifting a 15-year-old arms embargo on China, a move spearheaded by France and Germany that appears to be gaining momentum inside the 25-member bloc. "The embargo should remain in place," he said, noting that the Chinese had not yet resolved the human rights concerns that sparked the ban.

He also reminded the EU that Washington was a firm supporter of Turkey's entry into the European Union and carefully suggested that Ankara be given an early date to begin accession talks when EU leaders meet next week.

"This is a matter for the EU to decide (but) I think Turkey has done a great deal in recent years to meet the standards and conditions that were put before it," he said.