London  - The European Union (EU) faces a stark choice between becoming a major global player or a "paper tiger" preoccupied with bureaucracy, Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband warned Monday.

Europe, which for 60 years had provided a "successful model" for the world on the economy and democracy, was now facing the challenge of adopting a global role - a challenge no responsible government could "afford to shirk," Miliband said in London.

His warning came in a keynote address to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London, entitled EU Foreign Policy After Lisbon.

Miliband pleaded for a strategic long-term relationship between the EU and China and said relations with Russia over trade and energy supplies had to be put on a "mature and predictable" footing.

Vis-a-vis the US, Europe had to become a "more effective partner" in the global drive for improved security and human rights.

Miliband also addressed the issue of the Czech Republic's still outstanding official ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. "President Vaclav Klaus is still making up his mind. But the rest of Europe is aching to address the challenges we face," said Miliband.

Addressing opposition to the Lisbon Treaty by the Conservatives in Britain, Miliband said Britain had for "too long lived with the false choice between a strong British foreign policy and a strong European foreign policy."

Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall the choice was between progress and "building new walls" which would lead to isolation.

Miliband, who has recently been rumoured to be a possible candidate for the post of EU foreign policy supremo under the Lisbon Treaty, attempted to quash such speculation at the weekend.

"I'm not available," he told a prime TV talkshow Sunday, while appearing to back former prime minister Tony Blair for the job.

"It's about whether or not Europe wants a strong leader for that position," Miliband said.(dpa)