Europe remains divided on whether to lift an arms embargoclamped on China in 1989 following events in Tiananmen Square, EUforeign ministers said Sept. 11.
"Wediscussed delivering arms to China but did not advance at all towards asolution or joint position", French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchnersaid at the close of two days of informal talks with his 26 EUcounterparts.
France has long been favorable" to ending the embargo, he said. "But we need a joint stand."
HisLuxembourg counterpart, Jean Asselborn, said he was "disappointed" atthe division. "We're not yet ready to do this, which I sincerelyregret."
"We could've offered an exchange: we raise the embargo and you ratify the convention on civil and political rights," he added.
Adocument examined by the ministers that was obtained by AFP raised theidea of lifting the embargo against conditions, such as improved tieswith Taiwan, an amnesty for arrests linked to events at Tiananmen, anda calendar for the ratification of the rights treaty.
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