By David Brunnstrom BRUSSELS, Aug 22 (Reuters) - France's EU partners responded cautiously on Wednesday to a call by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner for Europe to play a bigger role in Iraq. Analysts said Kouchner's comments on Tuesday appeared more of a reflection of improving relations between France and the United States than any indication of significant changes to the European role in Iraq. Kouchner, the first French minister to visit Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 that was strongly opposed by France's then-President Jacques Chirac, said "the Americans will not be able to get this country out of difficulty alone". He did not specify what greater European role he was seeking. EU capitals expressed interest but said they were awaiting more details. Britain, which has been America's closest ally in Iraq, welcomed the idea, but a Foreign Office spokesman said: "We'll wait to see what the French come up with ... we obviously think the U.N. and the EU should play a significant role." Officials from Spain, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands also said their governments needed to see more concrete proposals, while the foreign minister of Portugal, holder of the rotating EU presidency, was similarly cautious. "I wouldn't like to comment on what I didn't hear," Luis Amado told reporters on a visit to Kosovo, though he added: "The problem of Iraq is a problem of the international community." EU officials said they expected Kouchner would expand on his remarks at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Portugal on Sept. 7-8. DIPLOMATIC AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT Diplomats and analysts said Kouchner appeared to mean increased European diplomatic and financial involvement in stabilising Iraq, rather than any military role. James Denselow, Iraq analyst at King's College London, saw Kouchner's remarks as part of a "diplomatic surge option" towards a greater U.N. role in Iraq which would help provide the United States with an exit strategy for its forces. He said it showed the warming of ties between France and the United States under new French President Nicolas Sarkozy. "It's a big sign of how much things have moved on from the Bush-Chirac days," he said, while adding that he saw no prospect of any increased European military role. "I think that's off the table given that every country is withdrawing troops apart from America. I don't think you are going to see French troops, or Spanish troops, or Italian troops taking over their role. "This is more a reflection of changing relations between France and the United States than any real change on the ground." Denselow said it put Britain's "special relationship" with the United States trumpeted by former Prime Minister Tony Blair into stark perspective, just as Britain was under a cloud in Washington for withdrawing troops from Iraq. "It shows that all it takes is a change of presidency in France and in Germany and suddenly you see much warmer ties between two 'Old Europe' states and the United States," he said.
