UK: LONDON: TONY BLAIR MEETS ITALIAN PM D'ALEMA скачать в хорошем качестве

UK: LONDON: TONY BLAIR MEETS ITALIAN PM D'ALEMA

(20 Jul 1999) Italian/Eng/Nat Britain and Italy have announced a joint defence initiative aimed at boosting peacekeeping capabilities. It's the latest move in European pledges to become less militarily dependent on the United States - a lesson learnt from the Kosovo conflict. British Prime Minister Tony Blair who was meeting with his Italian counterpart Massimo D'Alema also took the opportunity to comment on last week's failed Northern Ireland peace moves, saying he did not believe the parties had been ready to reach an agreement. It was the first Anglo-Italian summit in four years and relations between Italy and Britain appeared not to have suffered in the interim. British Prime Minister Tony Blair warmly greeted his Italian counterpart Massimo D'Alema at Downing Street before holding talks. High on the agenda was Europe's ability to undertake crisis management and peace making. To illustrate the point that European neighbours should stick together, the British Prime Minister thanked Italy for its help in the Kosovo crisis. SOUNDBITE: (English) "I would like to begin by giving my heartfelt thanks to Italy for its steadfast support during the Kosovo crisis because it bore a very great deal of the burden of that crisis and it did so with remarkable fortitude and very great courage." SUPER CAPTION: Tony Blair, British Prime Minister The latest initiative envisages setting Europe-wide military goals for capabilities in peacekeeping, peacemaking and humanitarian tasks. Progress would be monitored every six months by foreign and defence ministers. Since the Kosovo crisis, European members of the U-S led NATO alliance have promised to become more self-sufficient and develop a Europe-wide defence strategy. But it stops well short of forming a single European army. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Of course of all countries will retain control over such an important area of national life but the more we can cooperate together, the more we can analyse what Europe needs in terms of defence capability and work on that together - then the better this defence initiative will be and the stronger will our relationships be not just in the European Union but with NATO as well." SUPER CAPTION: Tony Blair, British Prime Minister The Italian Prime Minister said European countries had to work together both practically and politically. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) "Our job is to make the EU's decisions into reality but we're also working toward practical improvements in the way the E-U works, towards political integration so that we have a Europe-wide capacity to work - alongside the U-S certainly - but so that we have an increased responsibility." SUPER CAPTION: Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema And as peace talks again resumed on Northern Ireland, Blair said he held out hope the parties could still reach an agreement on implementing the Good Friday peace settlement. SOUNDBITE: (English) "I believe the parties weren't ready last week to do an agreement but I do think it's obvious from the aftermath that people want to do an agreement, that the people of Northern Ireland desperately want an agreement to happen and I still believe that they will find their way to come to an accommodation that ensures we get the right type of sharing of power in Northern Ireland and we take the gun out of the politics in Northern Ireland." SUPER CAPTION: Tony Blair, British Prime Minister Mr. Blair reiterated his belief that Europe needs to learn from its recent history in order to be prepared for the future. SOUNDBITE: (English) SUPER CAPTION: Tony Blair, British Prime Minister Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...