Brussels, Oct 5, SPA -- The European Union's incomingforeign affairs chief said Tuesday the EU must "learn thelessons" from trans-Atlantic divisions over the Iraq warand move on to repair Europe's relationship with the UnitedStates. However, Western Europe must stay focused on"multilateralism ... with the United Nations at itscenter," Benita Ferrero-Waldner told a confirmationhearing before the European Parliament's foreign affairscommittee. "Only effective multilateralism can adequately addressthe complex challenges we face today," she added. It was the role of the United Nations in Iraq that splitthe trans-Atlantic community and the European Union intopro and anti-war camps in 2003. "The war in Iraq has caused tensions," saidFerrero-Waldner. But "we have to learn the lessons and wemust move on" and repair relations with the United States,she added. "We have been through difficult times with the Iraq war,but we also have common goals and should work together." One such goal was ending the Arab-Israeli conflict, shesaid. "Europe must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the UnitedNations, the United States and Russia to bring peace to theregion ... Europe cannot do that alone." Israel must be told that its disengagement from the Gazastrip is "only valid as a first step to the implementationof the road map to peace" drafted by the United States,Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, saidFerrero-Waldner. Ferrero-Waldner, 56, has been Austria's foreign ministersince 2000 and will succeed Britain's Chris Patten as theEU's external relations commissioner on Nov. 1. She pledged to work hard to "make the European Union adynamic protagonist in the world," where nations look toEurope for leadership in human rights and economicdevelopment.--SPA1356 Local Time 1056 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/208218