Europe should be able to stand alongside the United States in shaping a fairer world order, President Chirac said on Thursday.

Speaking during a visit to London, the French leader said that the EU should have its own credible defence system, strategic space programme and develop a "balanced" partnership with the United States.

After talks with Tony Blair, Chirac made clear he still opposed the Iraq war and stood by his view that he was "not at all sure" that the world had become safer since the removal of Saddam Hussein.

But he added that cooperation between Britain and France remained strong and Iraq was the "one and only issue" over which the two countries disagreed.

Blair added that they were both working for a stable and democratic Iraq.