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E.U. pact on common security

KASTELLORIZO (Greece) May 3. The European Union Foreign Ministers today agreed to draft the E.U.'s first common European security strategy to avoid future damaging diplomatic rifts like the Iraq crisis.

A E.U. source said Ministers from 25 current and future member-States, meeting on a luxury cruise yacht moored in the harbour of the most easterly Greek island, Kastellorizo, reached agreement after a debate on defence and transatlantic relations.

``The Ministers agreed to task (E.U foreign policy chief Javier) Solana to draft a European security strategy'' to be ready in time for a E.U. summit in Greece in mid-June, the source said.

The E.U. officials said the aim was for a common threat assessment on issues such as weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, failed states, regional conflicts and refugee flows to anticipate future crises better and ultimately have a joint doctrine on when the use of force may be appropriate.

With the Iraq war and divisions it set off in Europe still fresh in everyone's mind, the Greek Foreign Minister, George Papandreou, questioned if Europe had done enough to protect its citizens from external threats in a newly dangerous world. ``It is a very real threat in a world of globalisation irresponsible states, deep global inequalities, fanaticism, terrorism and proliferating weapons of mass destruction,'' said Mr. Papandreou. — Reuters

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