September 7, 2003	Sunday	Rajab 9, 1424

RIVA DEL GARDA (Italy) : Divisions, divisions, and yet more divisions.

The dream of endowing the European Union with a common foreign policy appeared as distant as ever on Saturday as an informal meeting of foreign ministers in Italy risked highlighting discord rather harmony over some of the most crucial issues facing the 15-member block.

Deep rifts have emerged over Europe’s handling of post-war Iraq and a new constitution. And although consensus has been reached on the need for Europe to play a greater role in the Middle East peace process, few ground-breaking agreements were in sight after Saturday’s final round of talks.

The divisions over Iraq echo the so-called “Old Europe/New Europe” dichotomy contrived by United States Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ahead of the second Gulf War.

France and Germany, two of the strongest critics of the US-led attack on Iraq, have remained skeptical over an American proposal for a new Security Council resolution calling on the United Nations to authorise a multinational force to help reconstruct the war-torn country.

Spain and Britain, which leads the so-called “New Europe” block of countries, have said they hope an agreement will be found soon.

But while Joschka Fischer has welcomed the American initiative as providing “new momentum” to the debate, the German Foreign Minister has also called for “a change of strategy” concerning the role of the United Nations.

Germany and France would like to see the Americans relinquish some form of control while giving greater sovereignty to the Iraqi people. As Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Per Stig Moeller, had put it on Friday: “We are still seeing the old disagreements between France and Germany and Britain and Spain. This is not a good start.”

Even more divisions have emerged over the draft of a new European constitution, which will be discussed by Union leaders during an intergovernmental conference scheduled to begin in Rome next month.

The current version of the draft has angered some of Europe’s smaller countries, which say they should all be represented by a commissioner. The EU will accommodate 10 new member states in 2004, but the current draft only envisages a total of 15 commissioners with voting powers.

Austria infuriated other member states on Friday by offering to submit no less than 13 amendments to the current draft.

“We are against a two class Europe,” thundered Benita Ferrero- Waldner, Austria’s foreign minister. Such words have alarmed Italy’s Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini, whose country hold’s the rotating presidency of the EU.

“Time is running out. Too many changes risk causing the entire project to collapse,” a worried-looking Frattini said.

At least some form of agreement, however, appeared to emerge during discussions on the Middle East.

Britain, backed by the United States, wants the EU to blacklist the Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose military wing is being held responsible for the latest stall in the so-called “road map” to peace.

Speaking on Friday, British Foreign Minister Jack Straw said the ban had been made necessary by the suicide bomb attack in Al Quds that killed 20 Israelis, including many women and children, last August 19.

Adding to Europe’s concerns, Palestinian Premier Mahmoud Abbas announced on Saturday he had submitted his resignation to President Yasser Arafat. The news was greeted with “utmost concern” at the Riva del Garda meeting, with several foreign ministers urging Abbas to reconsider his decision.—dpa