Rice is warm entrée to Bush main course

By Andrew Beatty

Date: 10/02/05

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called for Europe and the US to set aside past differences and rally round the cause of democracy.

Visiting Brussels on Wednesday (9 February) Rice insisted that differences over the Iraq war should give way to a forward-looking agenda based on a common commitment to promoting democracy in the Middle East and beyond.

In reference to past divisions she said: "We still had common interests and values but we did not have a common agenda."

Rice met European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and commissioners in charge of external relations, economics, enlargement, development and justice.

Speaking after the meeting, Rice sought to play down differences over the EU lifting its arms embargo against China.

"I don't think we have a difference on China," she said, "I do believe Europeans are listening to our concerns."

She sought to deny divisions on Iran's nuclear programme: "We have unity of purpose, we have unity of message."

But earlier, Rice issued a thinly veiled criticism of EU for failing to warn Iran that it could be referred to the UN Security Council if talks fail.

"I don't know that anyone has said that as clearly as they should to the Iranians," Rice said in an interview with a US television network. Rice's trip comes ahead of President George W. Bush's visit to Brussels later this month.

Article reports on a visit to Brussels on 9 February 2005 of US Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, where she met European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and Commissioners in charge of external relations, economics, enlargement, development and justice.