21.   The WEU, the only exclusively European defence body, comprises all European Union members bar Denmark and Irland.

22.   To create a truly European defence and security identity, the allies still have to agree on two questions, which are currently deadlocked.

23.   There must be compromise in building a European defence identity, he said, organically-linked to and within NATO as much as possible.

24.   Those differences are expected to be aired on Monday with France leading calls for faster progress towards European defence integration.

25.   Two major European defence groups, BAe and DASA, backed Lagardere Groupe in bidding for control of Thomson-CSF, on Wednesday.

26.   This may be a disadvantage given that discussions are under way about the creation of a common European defence policy within the NATO framework.

27.   NATO secretary-general Javier Solana on Wednesday backed French proposals for a European defence component within the Atlantic alliance.

28.   NATO Secretary General Javier Solana on Friday urged participants at the intergovernmental conference in Turin to make progress on forging a new European defence structure.

29.   Now, with the change in the French position, everyone agrees that NATO is the cornerstone of European defence.

30.   Originally, Grachev was merely due to address the meeting of NATO and eastern European defence ministers.