Last update - 00:00 11/09/2006
Israel not taking part in Mediterranean disaster relief exercise in Greece
By The Associated Press
Israel will not take part in an annual disaster relief exercise this week on the island of Crete, Greek military officials announced Monday.
Military organizers said Israel will not participate because of commitments following the recent conflict in Lebanon.
The main stage of the Dolphin 06 exercise will take place Tuesday, and involve officers from Greece, Jordan, Egypt, Mauritania and Tunisia, as well as observers from NATO.
The exercise is designed to help countries in the Mediterranean region assist each other in case of a disaster in the region.
In addition to Israel, officers from Algeria and Morocco also did not attend.
All three countries took part in a similar exercise last year.
Greece has organized several civil and diplomatic meetings involving Israel and Arab countries in recent years, mostly as part of European Union programs for Mediterranean cooperation.