European heavyweights congratulate Blair on election victory

Leading members of the European Union, avoiding differences over the war in Iraq, congratulated British Prime Minister Tony Blair on his general election victory on Friday and promised to work with him during his presidency of the EU and the G8 later this year.

Expressing "warm congratulations" on behalf of France, President Jacques Chirac said in a message to Blair that "the closeness that has grown between us over the years" would enable the two leaders to confront the challenges they face.

Chirac did not mention the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, which he opposed and Blair supported and which some analysts said was responsible for the large drop in the parliamentary majority of Blair's Labour Party.

With results declared in 618 of the 645 constituencies, Labour held 353 seats in the House of Commons, ensuring a majority of at least 66 over all other parties combined, but sharply down from 161 in the previous parliament, according to television projections.

In his message, Chirac said "the United Kingdom will be playing a crucial role" as president of the EU and the Group of Eight.

"A lot of shared challenges lie ahead for us, which we will meet together: building Europe, fighting poverty, sustainable development," he said, adding: "As you know, you will find France at your side."

Another leading critic of the Iraq war, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, also congratulated Blair, the first Labour leader in history to win three successive general elections.

Like Chirac, Schroeder noted that Blair turned 52 on Friday and said: "I think that with this electoral victory, you've given yourself the best birthday present possible."

But while Blair's critics avoided the subject, another supporter of the Iraq war, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, said he had "long regarded Mr Blair's courage on the issue of Iraq as displaying strong leadership."

Among world leaders who backed the invasion, "Mr Blair had the tougher call because of strong internal opposition within his own party," Howard said.

In Dublin, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern struck a personal note in his message of congratulations, saying he greatly valued his "close personal friendship and working relationship" with Blair.

"This real and stable partnership between the Irish and British governments has been vitally important in recent years," Ahern said, adding that it was essential "to resolve the crisis of trust and confidence and move beyond the current stalemate" in the stalled Northern Ireland peace process.

In a statement in Brussels, the president of the EU executive European Commission, Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, also expressed "warmest congratulations" to Blair.

"I look forward to working together to address the crucial challenges ahead of us, especially during the British presidency of the EU in the second half of this year," Barroso said. "Our close cooperation is indispensable to the success of the European Union."

Ahern also wished Blair well with the presidency of the EU and the G8, saying: "These roles bring challenges and demands beyond the ordinary."