Leaders from over 40 states gathered in Paris on July 13 for the first summit of the French-sponsored Union for the Mediterranean, which aims at tackling issues from immigration, pollution, business to the long-stalled Middle East peace. Leaders from the 27 EU nations and an arc of countries from North Africa to the Balkans – representing some 756 million people – inaugurated the new union. The new body, “The Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean,” will enhance cooperation on issues like pollution, migration and business. The first set of goals includes pursuing projects with EU and private sector funding, such as cleaning up the Mediterranean Sea, using North Africa’s plentiful sunshine to generate solar power, and building road and sea highways. The new body will have a joint presidency between “North” and “South”, with France and Egypt to take the first turn. It will hold summits every two years, with foreign ministers meeting annually.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called in his keynote speech for stepping up the efforts to reach a Middle East peace deal. “I call on (Palestinian) president Mahmud Abbas, and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, to pursue the path of negotiations to bring about total and global peace, to create an independent Palestinian state and open a new page in the Middle Eastern region.”
Jordan’s King Abdullah II and King Mohammed VI of Morocco have sent only senior representatives. Diplomats affirmed that drawing up a final declaration saw continuing disagreements over key issues such as how to address the Middle East peace process and a possible role for the Arab League. The Arab League has said the new forum must not ignore the plight of the Palestinians. Other nations expressed reluctance to take part in projects with Israel. Arab countries, led by Algeria, managed to secure guarantees in the final declaration of the founding summit that the Union will not allow a normalisation of ties with Israel.