France/Middle-East

Union for the Mediterranean launched in Paris

by Sarah Elzas

Article published on the 2008-07-13 Latest update 2008-07-14 12:03 TU

President Nicolas Sarkozy with Lebanon's President Michel Sleiman (L), Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Ben Khalifa Al Thani (2nd L) and Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (R) at the Elysee Palace in Paris, July 12, 2008.
(Photo : Reuters)

Presidents, prime ministers, even kings of 43 countries gathered around a table Sunday here in the lofty glass-domed Grand Palais in Paris for the launch of the Union for the Mediterranean, the brainchild of French president Nicolas Sarkozy.

"We are all convinced that the European dream and the Mediterranean dream are inseparable," Sarkozy said in his opening remarks. "We are no longer neighbours, but partners."

These neighbours include the 27 member states of the European Union
and the North African and Middle Eastern countries which border the Mediterranean.

The Union builds on the previous Barcelona process. Launched in 1995, it brought together countries bordering the Mediterranean. But it has stalled because of ongoing conflicts between participants, notably in the Middle East.

The draft declaration of the new Union says it is about achieving
"peace and prosperity" in the region. Six major projects were on the
agenda at the inaugural summit, ranging from an Erasmus-style
education exchange programme to alternative energy projects and
co-operation to clean up the Mediterranean Sea.

The topics were not groundbreaking, but the summit itself was
something of a diplomatic coup: Sarkozy had managed to convince sworn enemies to sit around the same table. Syria and Israel sat down
together for the first time ever.

"Everybody who I have seen, they all were friendly," said Hans-Gert
Pöttering, president of the European Parliament, who attended the
summit meeting, which took place behind closed doors. "I have seen
many leaders of the Arab world, the Prime Minister of Israel. As far
as the EU is concerned, everyone is friendly."

However, there was no handshake between Syrian president Bashar
al-Assad and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

It is a tricky proposition to try to get enemy countries to work
together. But Javier Solana, the Foreign Policy head of the European Union, said the Mediterranean Union can be inspired by the EU.

"Many people say, Arab-Israelis will never agree. I say it's possible
because here in Europe we had maybe the worst war," he said, referring to World War II. "And we were able to reconcile. I think the path is to create more economic interdependence, to make war improbable, or impossible."

This summit indeed focused on economic projects, though politics seem to dominate more than anything.

On Saturday Sarkozy facilitated an agreement between Syria and Lebanon to open embassies in each other's countries, and Syria's presence at the summit was a coming-out of sorts for a country that has been isolated from Europe for the last few years.

Turkey was at the summit, insisting that the Mediterranean Union not going to become an alternative to full EU membership. Pöttering said this was not the case.

"I think the Turkish membership and the Union for the Mediterranean is
something else," he said.

This "something else" will cost billions of euros.  Europe already
funds some Mediterranean union projects, but it won't come close to
covering the costs.

"Of course there will be private money, private initiatives," said
Pöttering. "Money from the governments, and European money, budget
from the EU. And there the European Parliament has a great
responsibility."

The draft declaration says the Union will be able to attract regional
funding, and co-ordinate donors. This is the beginning of a partnership that will establish a free trade zone in the region by 2010.

For now, the group is focusing on logistics, which will be worked out
by the end of the year.

Sarkozy announced that summit meetings are to be held every
two years, and foreign ministers are to meet yearly. The presidency
will be shared, starting with France and Egypt.