French Ambassador to Bulgaria Jean Loup Kuhn-Delforge said in an interview in Sofia that Bulgaria's position on the Iraq question could pose problems for its EU-integration effort because public opinion in western Europe might turn against the candidates Kuhn-Delforge seemed to be alluding to the Vilnius 10 group's support for the United States.

Kuhn-Delforge was essentially repeating a similar warning made earlier by a French foreign ministry spokesman. "Bulgaria has to consider carefully where its long-term interests lie," the ambassador said. "I think that when people live in Europe they should express solidarity and think European-style."

News reports noted that the interviewer failed to ask Kuhn-Delforge what the European position on the Iraq question is, given high-profile differences between France, Germany, and Belgium on the one hand and the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal and Italy on the other.

(NewsBase 17.ii.03)