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Blair to urge end to trans-Atlantic rift
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-11-15 09:41

British Prime Minister Tony Blair will stress the need for Europe and the United States to put differences over Iraq behind them and work together to tackle issues such as Middle East peace in a speech on Monday.

Blair, speaking three days after meeting US President Bush in Washington, will defend Britain's close ties with the United States and pledge a leading role for London in mending global divisions over Iraq, said British officials.

The two leaders on Friday set out a four-year goal of seeing a Palestinian state established and vowed to mobilize global support to help the push for peace after Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's death.

Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair (R) an former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher (L) attend the Remembrance Service in Whitehall, London, November 14, 2004. The annual event remembers British servicemen who have died in combat. Blair will stress the need for Europe and the United States to put differences over Iraq behind them and work together to tackle issues such as Middle East peace in a speech on Monday. [Reuters]

Bush also stressed he wanted to work with European allies on the Middle East and other issues and pledged to visit European countries early next year, an opportunity to mend some fences.

Blair longs to be viewed internationally as an "honest broker" but he faces a major challenge to transform his dream of Britain acting as a bridge between Europe and the United States into reality.

His close relationship with Bush has put distance between Britain and some European allies, notably France.

The prime minister has also put Middle East peace at the top of his foreign policy agenda in the last two or three months.

Although Britain has limited influence in the Middle East, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw plans to visit the region in the coming weeks as Britain tries to ensure no opportunity is lost to revive peacemaking.

In his annual speech at London's Mansion House, Blair will also say spreading democracy and tackling global poverty are a crucial part of fighting the terror threat, said officials.

Later in the week, Chirac makes a state visit to Britain and is expected to meet Blair.

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