German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder today urged members of the European Union to back plans for a common foreign and security policy to boost its voice in the global arena.

Following the introduction of a common currency, the euro, Schroeder said the next move would be to develop joint defence and foreign policies to bring integration to a deeper level.

"The next big step will be to nail down a joint foreign and security policy in decision-making," he said at a forum here as he opened a week-long four-nation Southeast Asian tour.

One voice

"The more Europe speaks in o­ne voice," the stronger its influence will be o­n international issues such as Iraq, he said.

Germany, Belgium, France and Luxembourg -- all Nato members that opposed the US-led invasion of Iraq -- agreed at a controversial mini-summit in Brussels last month to increase military cooperation to make Europe's defence less reliant o­n the United States.

The quartet also called for the creation of an EU military command independent of Nato.

But the summit was criticised by Washington and other EU members who believe that security and defence efforts should mainly take place within Nato. AFP