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Blair, Chirac 'united on terror'

Blair and Chirac saids they were "in complete agreement" over Afghanistan

LONDON, England -- French president Jacques Chirac and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said they were in complete agreement on Afghanistan.

It was a long-haul job but "we want to eradicate terrorism totally," Chirac told a joint news conference after talks in London.

Chirac and French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin were in London for the annual Anglo-French summit, with talks focusing on the next moves in Afghanistan.

Blair praised the French for the" leadership and strength of purpose" they had shown since September 11 in combatting the "evil" of international terrorism.

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Chirac described the Anglo-French relationship on the issue as "flawless."

The talks, which also discussed the Middle East, the EU, the common defence policy, immigration and Africa, began with an hour-long meeting between Blair and Chirac.

That was followed by another 60-minute session between the British premier and Jospin.

French foreign minister Hubert Vedrine, defence minister Alain Richard, and Europe minister Pierre Moscovici also met with their British counterparts

There was to a plenary round-table session involving all the relevant French ministers and their UK opposite numbers, and finally a dinner at Downing Street.

The summit's main aim was to discuss the situation on the ground in Afghanistan and the options for putting in peacekeeping forces, agreed to on Thursday by the Northern Alliance in talks in Bonn, Germany.

Britain and France have each already pledged they would be willing to send ground troops to Afghanistan, if necessary, to aid humanitarian relief efforts and bring order to Afghanistan's cities.

Blair told the news conference that the coalition campaign against terrorism should concentrate on Afghanistan before any move against other potential terrorist targets.

"The action we are taking at the moment, that military action, is focused on Afghanistan.

Chirac was 69 on Thursday, but reluctant to celebrate

"We have not finished that action yet, and what is essential is that we complete it militarily, that we pursue the political and humanitarian lines as well, they are equally important."

Blair urged caution over claims that the Northern Alliance has been executing prisoners in large numbers.

He said: "We believe people should be treated properly as prisoners. There are many reports, but we do not know the truth of these reports one way or another."

The two leaders said Afghanistan would be the main topic at the next European summit in Laeken, Belgium.

At that summit European leaders will also begin to sketch a route map for the EU as it enlarges to include former Eastern Bloc states.

France and Germany last week stated they wanted to see a written European constitution, something so far opposed by the UK.

President Chirac turned 69 on Thursday and was said to be sensitive about any formal recognition of his birthday because he intends to run for office again next year.

But at the news conference with Blair and Jospin he joked about his anniversary and said had received "great kindness which really touched me" from the British.

He said Blair had shown him much kindness as had "his wonderful son Leo."

At the moment Chirac has a narrow lead over his socialist rival Jospin in French opinion polls, with predictions he would just pip his current prime minister in a second-round runoff.