Britain and Germany today watered down a strong European Union call for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Lebanon conflict as foreign ministers clashed in Brussels. Instead of calling for an immediate ceasefire a convoluted statement issued by the 25 member states called for "an immediate end to hostilities to be followed by a sustainable ceasefire".
The move by Britain and Germany backs the stance of the United States which believes a ceasefire call should only be made if it was "sustainable". It will be also interpreted as a snub to Jacques Chirac, the French president, who has been demanding an immediate ceasefire. Margaret Beckett, the foreign secretary, was joined by her German, Czech and Polish counterparts in resisting a challenge by the Finns and the French to unite behind a stronger statement which also warned of breaches of international law in the three-week old conflict. |