Kohl tells Blair to stay cool

Tony Blair returned from the Luxemburg summit last night amid rancour over Britain's abrasive stance and after a reproof from Europe's senior statesman, Helmut Kohl. The ill-feeling threatens to mar Britain's six-month presidency of the European Union, starting in January.

Mr Blair was still claiming satisfaction in the row over the formation of an exclusive club to manage the single currency, but the fudged compromise reached on Friday is so open to interpretation that it stores up innumerable wrangles over when and how Britain can exert influence on the Euro's management.

As well as failing to block the creation of "Euro-X", the new forum linking Euro-zone members, or to secure watertight assurances on Britain's inclusion,the Prime Minister's robust handling of the affair infuriated the French press.

After witnessing what officials called Mr Blair's agitated performance during the debate, Mr Kohl suggested to him over dinner that he might do well to sharpen his diplomatic skills.

The German Chancellor quoted the remark of his predecessor, Konrad Adenauer, that to get one's way in Europe it is necessary to salute the French flag three times and the German flag at least once. He advised Mr Blair to use less charm and rhetoric and negotiate more rationally and reasonably.

The episode is a setback for Mr Blair's efforts to portray himself as a leader in Europe rather than the leader of Europe's awkward squad. France's Le Figaro accused him of "obstructionism". Liberation, the radical French daily, said Mr Blair behaved "with a stubbornness and a tone Margaret Thatcher would have been proud of".

The row overshadowed the historic nature of a summit that fired the starting gun on a move to bring five of the former Eastern bloc countries and Cyprus into the EU early in the next century. Invitations to membership negotiations that will start on 31 March were extended to Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Slovenia, as well as Cyprus, while talks with five others - Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia - will begin as soon as they are ready.

A crisis over how to deal with Turkey, which applied to join the bloc in 1963 and which is threatening to veto negotiations with Cyprus, was averted. Turkey was recognised for the first time as "eligible for accession" to the EU but was told it would have to meet conditions on human rights before being admitted to a standing conference for "aspiring" member states.

Mr Blair will today argue that the Luxemburg deal safeguards British involvement in European economic management, writes Stephen Castle. In an interview recorded for GMTV, Mr Blair will argue that "the only decision-making body is the finance ministers of all 15 countries".