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The leaders of Germany, France and UK will meet here Saturday for a summit aimed at putting their differences over the Iraq war behind them, the first such meeting between the three European powers since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein five months ago.

The lunch meeting between British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder coincides with a new US push at the United Nations to win support for its Iraq policy.

"The meeting will serve to reach common ground on foreign policy after the differing views that arose before the Iraq war," said the German government in a statement.

Germany and France opposed the war on Iraq, while Blair was US President George W Bush's staunchest ally during the conflict that has divided and weakened the European Union and the UN Security Council.

Since then, Berlin and Paris have argued that the United Nations should be brought to the centre of rebuilding efforts and that its prime aim must be to put the control of Iraq back into the hands of its people.

France, one of five permanent veto-holding members of the 15-member Council, has challenged Washington's proposals for a resolution and wants an accelerated timetable for the US to hand over sovereignty.

But France has recently shown flexibility over its demand for installing a new Iraqi government within a month, saying a "symbolic" transfer of power to Iraqi representatives could be possible.

Germany, currently among ten non-permanent members, has also argued that the US outline of how the multinational force would work has so far been inadequate.

Berlin has also said it would not contribute troops, although US officials have suggested that very few soldiers from other countries would be expected.

In Paris, a spokesperson for Chirac said the discussions would focus in particular on security and defence, a topic, which has also polarised the EU.

Since the war, Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg have held controversial meetings on strengthening the Union's defensive capability, talks from which Britain was excluded and which angered Washington.

But despite their very strong and public differences over Iraq, relations between the three countries have been improving of late.

Last week, they jointly called on Iran to fully disclose its contested nuclear programme by the end of October.

In recent days they have also been working closely at the United Nations on moves to lift international sanctions against Libya, and on the future constitution of the European Union.

All those issues are likely to be touched on again at the summit in Berlin, which Blair's spokesperson said had come about after a "consensus" between the three that talks at this time would be valuable.

"This will be a chance to discuss not just Iraq but also other issues as well.

There have been informal discussions, but it makes sense to continue those discussions now," the spokesperson said.

"It will be a chance for a fairly wide-ranging discussion on economic matters and international affairs," he said.

"Iraq will be discussed and also other European matters".

Downing Street meanwhile also announced that Blair would be hosting on Sunday Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, another US ally in the war, at the Prime Minister's weekend retreat northwest of London, known as Chequers. – Sapa-AFP.

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