July 3, 2008 (LPAC)--The British government is throwing its support behind French President Sarkozy's military policy, which calls for the military integration of the European Union and France's reintegration in the NATO military command structure.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband will give a speech on the EU in which he is expected to support Sarkozy's plans. In what the Guardian refers to as a "controversial passage cleared by Downing Street," Miliband will say, "What strikes me about the French priorities for their presidency is how closely they tie with our own ambitions for the EU, as set out in our global Europe policy statement last autumn, whether on energy and climate change, migration, near neighborhood policy and the next steps on European defense."
He will also praise the French reintegrating into NATO's command structure, and will insist that a stronger European defense policy does not mean that NATO stops being the cornerstone of European defense. But, it will allow the EU to launch a military intervention on its own. "As the Balkans wars in the 1990s demonstrated, unless Europe can develop its own capabilities, it will be consigned always to wait impotently until the U.S. and NATO are ready and able to intervene. That means a genuine role for the EU in conflict prevention and crisis management."
Miliband will point out that Victoria Nuland, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, welcomed a stronger European defense policy in a speech in February.
Meanwhile, the Guardian reports, the British foreign ministry has not yet seen the full details of the French proposals on European defense, and there may yet be tensions.
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