EU leaders express condolences - except Chirac

European leaders today expressed personal condolences to Tony Blair today over last night’s helicopter crash in Kuwait – but French President Chirac was not among them.

European leaders today expressed personal condolences to Tony Blair over last night’s helicopter crash in Kuwait – but French President Chirac was not among them.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, and Spain’s Jose Marie Aznar went over to Mr Blair at the start of the second day of an European Union summit in Brussels.

Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi, Dutch leader Jan-Peter Balkenende, and Denmark’s Anders Fogh Rassmussen did the same.

“They all offered their personal condolences before the meeting happened,” said a British government spokesman.

Asked if French President Jacques Chirac had done the same, the spokesman replied: “The French President was late for the start of the meeting.”

Meanwhile, there was an attempt at business as usual, with Britain's Mr Blair pushing a new employment initiative as part of EU efforts to boost jobs and growth.

But the leaders at the summit were all being kept closely informed of every step in developments in the war against Iraq.