Israel, Jerusalem, 15 July / Trend corr R.Abdullayev/ Official Jerusalem believes the initiative to create Mediterranean Union is continuation of the Barcelona process, which in its 10-year existence period became an important element of European Union's strategy.
"Creation of Mediterranean Union has become a continuation of the Barcelona process or Euro-Mediterranean dialogue, which during over 10 years of its existence has become an efficient tool for implementation of EU's new integration strategy towards South Mediterranean countries, which was proclaimed in 1992," Israeli Foreign Ministry's official Eddie Shapira said to Trend .
Mediterranean Union was established Monday at a Paris summit which included heads of states and governments of 43 European, North African and Middle East countries. Creation of the Union to include countries with total population of 750mln was initiated by French President Nicolas Sarcozy. Struggle against illegal immigration and environmental pollution is amongst new organization's tasks.
According to Israeli diplomat, the dialogue has become an important and efficient international forum agenda of which includes key issues on co-development of EU countries and South Mediterranean countries: contemporary challenges of the 21st century, international security threats; growth of illegal weapon trade and illegal mass migration; international terrorism operations, including drugs business; achievement of stable progress in political and socio-economic development in south Mediterranean countries.
Shapira thinks Middle East problem pushed the summit to background. Undoubtedly, 43 countries (only Libya was absent) decided to implement six projects: improvement of Mediterranean environment, shipping routes, civil defence, sun energy, Euro-Mediterranean University, and Agency for Support to Small and Big Enterprises.
"The Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert and Syrian President Bashar Asad, who are representatives of two countries which have been at war since 1948, sat at the same table. They all sat at the same table, though without handshaking and far from each other. This is very important event for the Mediterranean Union which was founded in Grand Palais," Shapira said.
According to Shapira, the summit of the Mediterranean Union was the only summit on the regional level where Syria and Israel sat at the same table of talks. "Any mechanism capable of uniting non-friendly countries is usually a right step. The situation, in which Syria positioned himself as a part of axis of evil, sabotaged the political process in Lebanon, supported Hamas, helped terror to act against Americans in Iraq, can end up with sharp confrontation. If there is opportunity to reach political agreement, one should not miss it," official representative of the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.
According to diplomat, Israel hopes that Syria will cease to be centre of terrorism and refuge for Hamas and Islamic Jihad headquarters and these changes will have an impact on Lebanon.
The continuation of direct talks in Paris between Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert and Head of Palestinian Autonomy Mahmoud Abbas is one of the signs of relaxation of tension. "The risky stake of Nicola Sarkozy at inviting the Syrian President not without the help of the Israeli diplomacy is promising to be successful," Shapira said.
The Mediterranean Union was initiated by the French President Nicola Sarkozy during the election campaign for presidential elections in France in 2007. On 13 March 2008, the principal plan on the establishment of the Mediterranean Union was officially adopted in the autumn summit of the European Union. The Mediterranean Union unites 43 states: 27 EU member states plus Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Syria, Turkey, Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Monaco and Palestinian Autonomy.