ROME, Oct 4: European Union defence ministers ended an informal meeting in Rome on Saturday with a declaration that the EU is ready to take over peacekeeping duties in Bosnia from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, probably next year with a British-led force.

“We all agree on the fact that we can do it and it would be desirable to do it next year,” Italian Defence Minister Antonio Martino said at a news conference.

He said that Britain had offered to be the “managing state” of a future European force.

British Defence Secretary Geoffrey Hoon stopped short of giving official confirmation, saying that Britain would only envisage taking command of the operation in Bosnia once the Nato mission was finished, because it would need to assess the conclusions of the mission.

As the meeting was informal, on the sidelines of the opening of an inter-governmental conference on the future European constitution, no decision could be taken.

The issue of Bosnia is due to be discussed in detail next week at a meeting of Nato defence ministers at Colorado Springs in the United States.

As for a possible timetable, French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said the handover might take place in the second half of next year. She said ministers should start thinking now about an EU force.—AFP