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ATHENS, Greece - Greece did not rule out the possibility it may call an emergency European Union (news - web sites) summit on Iraq, but said Saturday the decision hinged on evidence presented by the United States to the U.N. Security Council.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) has pledged to present evidence about Iraq's alleged weapons programs before the Security Council on Feb. 5.
"We don't rule out the calling of an extraordinary EU Summit or general affairs council meeting, but we will have a clearer picture in deciding the next steps after our talks on Feb. 5," Foreign Minister George Papandreou said. Greece holds the six-month rotating EU presidency.
A general affairs council involves foreign ministers and not heads of government.
Papandreou and Premier Costas Simitis spent four hours discussing the possibility of calling a summit in mid-February that would include the 15 EU member states, 10 EU candidate countries, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and countries neighboring Iraq.
Papandreou will travel to New York on Wednesday for a meeting with the four EU members that hold seats on the Security Council.
That trip will come after Papandreou returns from a EU-supported mission to the Middle East. Papandreou leaves Sunday for a trip that includes visits to Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt as part of an effort to seek regional support for talks that could end the showdown between Washington and Baghdad.
Greece has spent the past few days trying to heal a rift in the EU's stated aim of creating a joint foreign and defense policy. The division came when the leaders of five EU states and three candidate countries published a joint letter expressing solidarity with Washington over Iraq.
Published in major U.S. and European papers, the letter was signed by the leaders of Britain, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Denmark.
Absent were the leaders of France, Germany, Greece and several other smaller EU nations strongly opposed to U.S. President George W. Bush (news - web sites)'s threat to use military force in disarming Iraq.
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Personally, I'd like that meeting to take place. Let the 5 EU members (out of 15) and the 3 new EU members (out of 10) present their views OFFICIALLY (and not by public relations, meaningless sucking up letter to the US which circumvents EU formal procedures).
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) has pledged to present evidence about Iraq's alleged weapons programs before the Security Council on Feb. 5.
"We don't rule out the calling of an extraordinary EU Summit or general affairs council meeting, but we will have a clearer picture in deciding the next steps after our talks on Feb. 5," Foreign Minister George Papandreou said. Greece holds the six-month rotating EU presidency.
A general affairs council involves foreign ministers and not heads of government.
Papandreou and Premier Costas Simitis spent four hours discussing the possibility of calling a summit in mid-February that would include the 15 EU member states, 10 EU candidate countries, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and countries neighboring Iraq.
Papandreou will travel to New York on Wednesday for a meeting with the four EU members that hold seats on the Security Council.
That trip will come after Papandreou returns from a EU-supported mission to the Middle East. Papandreou leaves Sunday for a trip that includes visits to Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt as part of an effort to seek regional support for talks that could end the showdown between Washington and Baghdad.
Greece has spent the past few days trying to heal a rift in the EU's stated aim of creating a joint foreign and defense policy. The division came when the leaders of five EU states and three candidate countries published a joint letter expressing solidarity with Washington over Iraq.
Published in major U.S. and European papers, the letter was signed by the leaders of Britain, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Denmark.
Absent were the leaders of France, Germany, Greece and several other smaller EU nations strongly opposed to U.S. President George W. Bush (news - web sites)'s threat to use military force in disarming Iraq.
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Personally, I'd like that meeting to take place. Let the 5 EU members (out of 15) and the 3 new EU members (out of 10) present their views OFFICIALLY (and not by public relations, meaningless sucking up letter to the US which circumvents EU formal procedures).
Stop seing enemies everywhere 
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