German - US relations 'difficult not terrible' - Fischer

German foreign minister Joschka Fischer said his government’s relationship with the United States over the Iraq crisis was “difficult but not terrible”.

Speaking in London last night after a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair, Fischer again said Saddam Hussein should be disarmed peacefully by UN weapons inspectors.

But he insisted the difference of opinion between Germany and the US administration had not caused an irreparable rift.

“The United States and the power of the United States is crucial for peace and stability in the world,” he said.

“We are close allies. At the moment it is difficult but not terrible, believe me. For our government, the transatlantic relationship is a pillar of peace and stability not only in Europe but in the world.”

The split over Iraq between the United States, Britain and numerous other European countries on the one hand and Germany, France and Russia on the other has caused severe strains in diplomatic relations.

US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld has called Germany “a problem” and derided it as part of the “old Europe”.

Britain, America and Spain tabled a second UN resolution yesterday declaring that Iraq had missed its chance to peacefully disarm and said they would seek a vote in the Security Council by mid-March.

France, Germany and Russia, however, circulated a plan to strengthen weapons inspections, extending them beyond July 1 in hopes of avoiding war.

Mr Blair dismissed that plan as misguided yesterday and said Saddam’s refusal to fully and actively co-operate with the UN teams meant more inspections were pointless.

Fischer told reporters that Britain and Germany continued to disagree on Iraq but the relationship between the two countries was “excellent”.

“We are of the opinion that we should do everything to implement resolution 1441 with the inspectors and without the use of force,” he said. “This difference remains.”

Asked if he thought war was inevitable, he said: “We should not give up hope until the very last moment, as I think when the first shot of a possible war is fired we will face altogether a very, very serious challenge. We should do everything to avoid military action.”

A Downing Street spokeswoman said only that the meeting “was a useful opportunity to exchange views”.

The British Foreign Office said Mr Straw and Mr Fischer had met for about 90 minutes over lunch and discussed a range of issues including Iraq.