Solana wil dat Fransen en Britten de EU vertegenwoordigen in de Veiligheidsraad van de VN (en)

France and the UK - the EU's two permanent members of the UN Security Council - should represent the 'spirit of the EU', not just their national interests, according to the EU's High Representative for foreign policy, Javier Solana.

In an interview with German daily the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Mr Solana said that the UN Security Council plays a decisive role in war and peace and pressed for closer cooperation from the EU members of the council.

"If France and the UK can not find a common position, then there will not be a common EU position", said Mr Solana.

"Therefore, I advise all permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council to be aware that they are not just representing their own country but that they are also representing the spirit of the EU - or at least should be representing the spirit of the EU".

Revolving doors

The UN Security Council has five permanent members and ten non-permanent members, who are elected for a period of two years.

The five permanent members are the UK, France, the US, China and Russia.

The EU currently has two other non-permanent members in Spain and Germany, who sit alongside Romania, Chile, Pakistan, the Philippines, Algeria, Angola, Benin and Brazil.

For decisions to be carried in the Council, the agreement of nine of the 15 is required but also the agreement of all five permanent members, giving any one of them the power of veto.

This right was famously used by Paris, when they threatened to veto any plan to send UN troops into Iraq, forcing the US and the UK to launch their own invasion.

Although there have been several calls for the British and French seat to be merged into a common EU seat, Paris and London would guard their privilege jealously.