Archbishop urges better EU focus

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The Archbishop of Canterbury has appealed for a "positive definition" of Europe that identifies the best of its history, faith and culture.

Dr Rowan Williams said most discussion on Europe focused on what it is not, rather than what it is.

"We need to understand some of the most basic things for which the word Europe stands when used positively," he urged.

He was speaking at Liverpool Cathedral during a visit to the city, which is European Capital of Culture 2008.

In his lecture, Dr Williams said: "We need from time to time to try and rescue a positive definition of some sort; which means a bit of history and a bit of political philosophy...

European trends

"We need some thinking about religion as well, specifically about Christianity.

"And if the presence of Europe in the world hasn't been and isn't now exclusively a source of good things, it may be...we find the problems appear in proper perspective only when we've thought harder about these religious issues."

Dr Williams said a way forward from some of the world's "most stale and destructive situations" could only happen when this had been done.

Elsewhere he argued that much of what the United States presents as its "unique contribution" to the world derived from European trends.

His intervention comes amid continuing controversy over the UK's ratification of the EU reform treaty.