US: President Bush was reconciled with Germany's Chancellor Schröder as they met for the first time in 16 months yesterday, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The two leaders fell out over the US-led invasion of Iraq.
Previously the President would not even take a phone call from the Chancellor, who used opposition to the war as one of the main themes in his successful campaign in the German elections last year.
At the New York meeting, Mr Schröder promised economic aid for the reconstruction of Iraq and training in Germany for Iraqi police and soldiers. But he drew the line at offering German peacekeepers for the proposed UN-authorised multinational force, because of the existing substantial commitment of German forces in Afghanistan and the Balkans.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, he said: "I have told the President how very much we would like to come in and help with the resources that we do have." President Bush said: "Look, we've had differences, and they're over, and we're going to work together."
In an address to the General Assembly, Mr Schröder said the UN was of critical important in the reconstruction of Iraq. "Only the United Nations can guarantee the legitimacy that is needed to enable the Iraqi population to rapidly rebuild their country under an independent, representative government," he said.
He warned against unilateral military action and said the UN monopoly of force had to be enhanced. He also said the International Criminal Court, which the US has refused to join, was an important judicial instrument in the prosecution of war crimes.
Mr Schröder was the first chancellor to address the General Assembly since Willy Brandt took the podium when the former West Germany was admitted to the UN 30 years ago. Mr Schröder highlighted Germany's aim of winning a permanent seat on the Security Council, which should be reformed, he said, to make it more representative of countries and regions. "On behalf of Germany, I repeat that we are prepared to take on more responsibility in the framework of such a reform," he said.
Up to now, no UN member-state has offered troops for Iraq and the US is redrafting its draft Security Council resolution in an effort to reach consensus.
The British Foreign Secretary, Mr Jack Straw said: "The main purpose of the resolution is much more what I describe as psychological-political than it is in terms of providing an extra 1,000 troops here or a 1,000 troops there."
Speaking on the Iraq situation at a briefing in the Foreign Press Centre, New York, a senior State Department official, Dr Kim Holmes, said that helping to devise a new constitution, train civil servants and oversee elections were roles which "the UN can be very good at".
Asked to clarify the differences between the US and France on the restoration of Iraqi self-rule, he said the French position was "not entirely clear".
But it was "very clear" at the recent meeting of the permanent Security Council members in Geneva, including the US and France, that there was "convergence" on the need for a new UN mandate to set up a multinational force and on the "strategic goal" of turning over sovereignty and authority to the Iraqis themselves.
The US had "shared a text" for a new resolution with other members of the Security Council a couple of weeks ago. "We want to create a consensus," he said. "At this point our job is to try and move forward this resolution." He stressed that, despite "tactical" differences on Iraq, Franco-US relations were good and there was co-operation on a wide range of issues, such as Afghanistan, Iran and countering terrorism.
"We have been friends with France for a very long time, we still remain friends, they are allies of the US," Dr Holmes said.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, attended a meeting at which the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, and Italy's President Berlusconi, representing the European Council presidency, signed a Joint Declaration for enhanced EU-US co-operation in crisis-management and establishing a "joint consultative mechanism" for further co-operation and co-ordination.
Noting that the declaration restated that primary responsibility for international peace and security rested with the Security Council, Mr Cowen said it was at the same time "an important public recognition of the practical co-operation that has been under way for some time now between the UN and the EU in the area of crisis management".
Mr Cowen said: "In a world where the UN may become increasingly reliant on regional organisations, such as the EU, this support and co-operation is not optional, it is essential."