Julie

All 26 Nato member countries are now helping the Iraqi government, officials announced at a Brussels summit attended by US President George W Bush.

French President Jacques Chirac - a staunch opponent of the US-led invasion of Iraq - said France would join the Nato mission to train Iraqi forces.

"Europe and the United States are true partners," he told the summit, urging more transatlantic dialogue.

Relations with Iran and Nato's role in Afghanistan are also on the agenda.

Mr Bush wants Nato to expand its role in Iraq, amid debate on the future of the military alliance.

Limited mission

So far Nato's training efforts for Iraq's beleaguered security forces have been on a small scale, with many countries reluctant to commit more troops.

France and Germany, which also opposed the Iraq war, have offered training outside the country or support in financing the operation, Nato officials say.

"All 26 allies are working together to respond to the Iraqi government's request for support by training Iraqi security forces, providing equipment and helping to fund Nato's efforts," said Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.

Nato currently operates a training academy in Baghdad staffed by about 100 personnel.

Bush-Blair talks

Earlier, Mr Bush had a breakfast meeting with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, who stressed Nato's "fundamental importance".

Mr Blair said there was a "renewed sense of optimism and vigour" in the Middle East peace process, which meant there was "every possibility" of reaching a deal.

And Mr Blair spoke of progress in Afghanistan and Iraq where, he said, Europe and the US had moved on from past disagreements.

"Whatever the differences in the international community there have been in past couple of years, I think we have a really solid basis now for going forward in a unified way," he said.

EU meeting

Later in the day - the second of his European tour - Mr Bush is scheduled to meet EU leaders in Brussels.

He is also expected to hold talks with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi - another loyal ally who contributed troops to the US-led forces in Iraq.

In the evening, Mr Bush is expected to meet the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, as well the leader of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, whose country currently holds the EU presidency.

European diplomats say the mood between the two sides has never been better - and according to BBC Europe correspondent Tim Franks, that indicates just how bad relations have been recently.

President Bush is expected to travel to Germany on Wednesday for talks with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4286133.stm

Bluesman

It's good news, sure enough. I just wish it were more significant.

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"The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it, and if one finds the prospect of a long war intolerable, it is natural to disbelieve in the possibility of victory."
- George Orwell

Julie

It's a start.