A high-level EU delegation has begun a six-day tour of the Middle East and Asia aimed at building support for a US military response to this month's attacks on New York and Washington. The delegation, which will include the EU foreign policy chief, Mr Javier Solana, and the External Affairs Commissioner, Mr Chris Patten, will visit Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and Syria.
It will be led by Belgium's Foreign Minister, Mr Louis Michel, and will include Spain's Foreign Minister, Mr JosΘ Pique, whose country assumes the EU Presidency from Belgium next January. At an emergency meeting in Brussels on Friday, EU leaders pledged strong support for the US and said that a response to the attacks was justified.
In an interview in Le Figaro yesterday, Mr Michel stressed that any military response should be carefully targeted.
The EU mission, which was agreed with Washington, aims at exploiting European influence with states such as Iran and Syria, which the US regards as sponsors of terrorism.
At a meeting in Washington tomorrow, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, will tell the US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, that Irish airports and airspace will be made available to the US.
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