German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (R) and French President Jacques Chirac pose in front of the Reichstag parliament building in Berlin, Thursday 23 January 2003. Both countries celebrate 40 years of reconciliation. PHOTO TASR/EPA

Speaking together in Berlin after U.S. Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld dismissed German and French opposition to war as „a problem“ and the view of the „old Europe“, Schroeder and Chirac reiterated they were working together to avert bloodshed. „We are both of the opinion, and the French president said that quite clearly yesterday, that one can never accept it when it is said that ‘war is unavoidable‘,“ Schroeder said. „War may never be considered unavoidable.“

Schroeder, sitting next to Chirac, made the comments to loud applause from hundreds of French and German students in the chancellery to mark the 40th anniversary of a friendship treaty between the former adversaries. „We are of the opinion that every effort with peaceful means has to be used“ in order to ensure that Iraq complies with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441, said Schroeder, who has said Germany would not vote for any Council resolution seeking authority for war on Baghdad.

Chirac on Wednesday told German and French members of parliament at a similar ceremony in Versailles that „war is not inevitable“.

Germany holds a non-veto seat on the Security Council and chairs the Council in February. France wields a veto as one of five permanent Council members. China, which also has veto power, said on Thursday its position on Iraq was close to that of France.

Rumsfeld, seeking to marginalise the French and German opposition to war, said on Wednesday that „vast numbers of other countries in Europe“ backed the United States on a possible war in Iraq. He called the German-French position „a problem“.

Riding a popular wave of anti-war sentiment in Germany, Schroeder was re-elected chancellor in September after speaking out against any German role in an Iraq war. The position angered U.S. President George W. Bush and strained German-U.S. relations. Schroeder softened his stance after the election and sought to repair strains. But he issued his strongest anti-war statement to date on Tuesday, saying Germany would not vote for any resolution seeking authority for a strike against Iraq.

In November, the Security Council passed Resolution 1441, warning Iraq it faced serious consequences if it did not comply with the measure aimed at ridding Baghdad of its alleged weapons of mass destruction. Iraq denies possessing such weapons. Some countries say a second U.N. resolution would be needed to authorise war if Iraq was found to be in material breach of resolution 1441. The United States disagrees.

Reuters