PARIS, Aug 30: French President Jacques Chirac, in his first major foreign policy statement since his landslide re-election on May 5, has said that the European Union countries are adamantly opposed to any United States intervention in Iraq.

Chirac was speaking before the yearly get-together in Paris of France’s diplomatic corps — the conference annuelle des ambassadeurs de France.

With regard to Iraq, the central subject of his speech, he declared in loud and clear terms that France would in no way support any US intervention in Iraq. Calling into question the rationale behind recent American proposals that President Saddam Hussein be physically eliminated, the French president said that in his estimation, “terrorism is not the only menace” presently facing the world,” and with regard to Iraq, he deplored “the temptation (expressed by the US) to legitimise the unilateral and preventive (pre-emptive) use of force.”

He noted: “This development is worrisome, and is contrary to France’s concept of collective security, our concept depending on the existence of cooperation among states, on the respect of the law, and the authority of the Security Council (of the United Nations).” Chirac implied that recent US declarations with regard to Iraq had shown that the US no longer seemed to believe not only in the authority of the Security Council, but also in the idea of collective security or indeed the respect of international law.

“We plan,” he added, “to recall these rules every time it is necessary, and notably with regard to Iraq. And, if ever Baghdad continues to refuse the unconditional return of inspectors, then the Security Council — and only it — would have to decide on which measures to take.”

The French head of state also said that he would propose that following the next G8 summit to be held in France, at Evian, next June, “that an encounter of a new kind take place, that we bring together (alongside the world’s most industrialised countries) developing countries, as well as those that are the poorest of the earth. I am thinking in particular of the creation of a Council of Economic and Social Security which would be the political instrument by which we would attempt to control (the process of) globalization.”

Chirac announced that high on the agenda is Africa, and that for starters France would be increasing its developmental aide by all of 50 per cent over the next five years, with most of it going to Africa on a bilateral basis.