Blair’s snub leaves nasty taste for EU’s political elite

Smaller countries and senior EU diplomats were furious at UK Prime Minister Tony Blair's handling of what he intended to be a private meeting in London on 4 November 2001 with the French and German leaders to discuss the US-led military action in Afghanistan. After many telephone calls and ruffled feathers, the mini-summit meeting was finally attended by the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands. Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief, also attended at the last minute.