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| Mediterranean Union to be based in Barcelona | |
| 2008-11-05 | |
| Foreign ministers from the new Mediterranean Union struck a deal Tuesday for Barcelona to host the forum's headquarters and for Israel and the Arab League to take part side-by-side. The Union's 43 member states held two days of talks in the port of Marseille to end a four-month deadlock on the two contentious issues, which threatened to hamstring the fledgling organization. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit, whose countries currently co-chair the forum, announced the breakthrough at a joint news conference in the southern French city. "It wasn't supposed to work, and yet it did," said Kouchner, adding: "The essential points were accepted completely and without reservation by all 43 states" in the Union for the Mediterranean. Ministers from the Mediterranean's mainly Arab southern rim agreed to back the Spanish city of Barcelona's candidacy to host the Union in exchange for the post of secretary general going to a southern member. They also clinched a deal on granting the Arab League a full-time seat at the forum - a key demand of Arab members but opposed by Israel which feared the pan-Arab group would try to block its involvement. "The Arab participation will take place in every meeting with the right to speak at all levels," said Abu al-Gheit, although it will have no right to vote. Israel agreed to the Arab League's role in exchange for one of five deputy secretary general posts for an initial three-year period, possibly renewable. The deputy posts will rotate between three European members and two southern ones, and will initially be held by the Palestinian Authority, Greece, Malta and Italy, alongside Israel, according to the final declaration. However, the text - with likely technical amendments - still has to be formally ratified by the Union's two co-presidents, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak. Launched at a Paris summit in July, the new union brings together European Union members with states from North Africa, the Balkans, the Arab world and Israel in a bid to foster cooperation in one of the world's most volatile regions.
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| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Regional unions popping up all over the place. Wont be any need for the UN at this rate. Pinch me, I'm dreaming. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-11-05 23:36 |