Germany and France take united stand over US policies

Germany and France, patching up their recent quarrels in the face of the common enemy, formed a united front against America yesterday, setting the stage for a transatlantic confrontation when President George Bush meets European leaders today and tomorrow.

At a summit in the south German city of Freiburg, the two countries warned against the danger of nuclear proliferation and forecast the likely consequence of President Bush's proposed missile shield. Dispute over that and Washington's reckless attitude to the global environment will dominate Mr Bush's first trip to Europe since his election.

France has consistently opposed the so-called Son of Star Wars scheme, and Germany has tried to couch its reservations in more diplomatic terms. But yesterday's joint Franco-German declaration openly addressed the perils of a new arms race, and called upon all EU members to back an international conference discussing the issue.

"Our US friends, allies, have proposed an anti-missile system," France's President Jacques Chirac said after his meeting with Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. "We are not enthusiastic about this project, but we are prepared to engage in a dialogue with the US."

The Bush administration says the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty banning the planned system is obsolete. Germany and France are of the opposite view, calling for the "strengthening of multilateral instruments of non-proliferation".

At Friday's EU summit, Paris and Berlin will be urging the EU to adopt a "common stance against the proliferation of ballistic missiles". Countries on the fence, most notably Britain, will face a stark choice of going along either with America or the rest of the EU.

The Franco-German axis also found common momentum in outrage over President Bush's decision to disavow the Kyoto environment treaty. "There is no alternative to the treaty," Chancellor Schröder said. Mr Chirac, with a hint of menace, declared: "We shall speak to President Bush about this issue."