French president Nicolas Sarkozy on Monday (24 September) laid down two conditions for France to rejoin the military command structure of NATO after an absence of over 40 years. In an interview with The New York Times, Mr Sarkozy said he had no problem with returning to the military alliance's integrated command, from which French president Charles de Gaulle withdrew in 1966.
But he said that first European defence must move forward and that top positions in the US-led NATO organisation should be reserved for French personnel. "I would make progress on a European defence a condition for moving into the integrated command, and I am asking our American friends to understand that," said the president.
"A Europe capable of defending itself independently would not be a risk for the Americans; it would be an asset. "He continued: "It is obvious that if we were to envisage such a move, it could only happen in as much as space was made in the leadership, at the highest level, for representatives of France."
France remained a member of the alliance after President de Gaulle removed French troops from its integrated military command and said that all non-French NATO troops may no longer be stationed in France. It rejoined the Military Committee in 1995 and has become considerably closer to NATO, participating in military operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the French army has also adopted the same procedures as the alliance.
Mr Sarkozy's predecessor Jacques Chirac also sought to join the military command structure in 1997, but the conditions he set were rejected by the Clinton administration. The current French president appears to have put the ball in the US' court with the two conditions.
European defence policy
However, Nicolas Sarkozy has also done much to open the informal political channels between Washington and Paris by publicly praising America and its values and also choosing to take his summer holiday in the US.
The NATO pre-conditions also see a return to a favourite topic of Mr Sarkozy - the creation of a European defence policy. It is set to be a big theme when France takes over political leadership of the EU in the second half of 2008.
The president indicated the importance he attaches to the theme by having troops from all EU member states present during this year's celebrations of Bastille Day on 14 July. At the time, Mr Sarkozy said: "The basis for a European defence exists. We must make it grow," he said, adding "I want Europe to be capable of ensuring its security autonomously."
Euobserver
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