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October 7, 2008 5:59:19 AM CDT

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New Mediterranean Union Eyes Mideast Peace

Posted Jul 14, 08 7:15 AM CDT in World 

(Newser) – The inaugural meeting yesterday of the Union of the Mediterranean, which brought together the 27 EU countries and their neighbors to the south, kicked off discussions about a number of mutual projects. But French President Nicolas Sarkozy used it as an opportunity to flex some diplomatic muscle by bringing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad out of isolation and by hosting a sit-down between Israeli PM Ehud Olmert and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

"We are certain that a new page will open in this cooperation that will lead us toward more peace," said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who co-chaired the summit with Sarkozy.The 43-member union brings together some 756 million people from Greenland to Jordan; goals also include developing solar energy and combating pollution in the Mediterranean, reports AFP. 

Sources AFP, New York Times

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French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni Sarkozy attend a formal dinner after the Mediterranean Summit meeting.   (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, right, clasps hands with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak during a Mediterranean Summit meeting.   (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, left, greets Qatar's Emir Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani during arrivals for the Mediterranean Summit.   (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)
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Israel  • France  • Nicolas Sarkozy  • Ehud Olmert  • Syria  • Lebanon  • Egypt  • Arab Israeli conflict  • Hosni Mubarak


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