EU leaders seek unity to face China and US ALEX PIGMANEU leaders held tough discussions on Europe's place in the world at a summit on Tuesday, as they seek unity on how to deal with superpowers China and the United States.
The gathering at Brdo Castle in Slovenia was their first meeting since June and will see them grapple with the fallout from the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan and a US submarine pact with Australia that enraged France.
The dinner where no concrete outcome is expected was taking place on the eve of an EU-Western Balkans summit in which countries to the bloc's east will seek assurances that they will one day be admitted to the European Union.
"It will be the occasion to address the EU's role on the international stage especially after the latest geopolitical developments in Afghanistan, in the Indo-Pacific, also our relations with China," EU Council chief Charles Michel said at the start of the sit-down.
"We are fully committed to the multilateral approach and need strong partners, strong allies".
France is still smarting over a decision last month by Australia to cancel a French submarine deal worth tens of billions of dollars in favour of a US offer.
With anger raw, French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to again warn at the talks that Washington's close allegiance to Europe is no longer a given.
While Europe can work in "good faith with its historical partners and allies" it must also pursue "its independence, its sovereignty," Macron said as he arrived for the talks. As the informal summit got underway the French leader said "we need clarification and re-engagement" from the United States.
"But we need to be clear with ourselves about what we want for ourselves, for our borders, for our security, for our energy, industrial, technological and military independence," he added. -Nampa/AFP