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Last update - 01:54 07/06/2008
Arab states leery of Israel's entry into Mediterranean Union
By Reuters
Tags: Mediterranean Union, Israel 

Mediterranean countries due to launch a regional union next month have yet to agree an overall vision for the project and questions remain over Israel's role, Algeria's foreign minister said.

France proposed a Union for the Mediterranean last year to boost ties with the European Union's southern neighbors and improve cooperation on trade, security and migration. The project is due to be unveiled in Paris on July 13.

Arab states are worried that joining with Israel in the union would imply a normalization of ties with the Jewish state.
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"The membership of Israel was among questions we discussed and clarifications were urged on this," Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci said after a meeting of Mediterranean foreign ministers in Algiers.

Medelci said any normalization of ties with Israel should be based on the 2002 Arab peace initiative which calls for Israel to withdraw from territories it occupied in 1967.

"The processes of normalization with Israel is linked to other debates and commitments," he said.

Clarification on other issues was needed, he said, including the union's institutions, financing and decision making.

Medelci was speaking at a news conference after a two-day meeting in Algiers of the 11-nation Mediterranean Forum, which includes France, Spain, Egypt, Malta, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Tunisia and Turkey.

The union under discussion is a scaled-back version of the original proposal which would have grouped only states with a Mediterranean coastline and involved nine new agencies and a bank.

The latest plan endorsed by EU leaders in March would see a regular summit of EU and Mediterranean countries with a presidency and a small secretariat.

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      2.   France lost influence in the EU 02:25  |  PK 07/06/08
      3.   Arab States Still Not Sure About Israel`s Reality 03:18  |  Tex 07/06/08
      4.   to # 1 LOL 04:57  |  Simon Mohammed 07/06/08
      5.   Ronnie Wolman @ #1 05:37  |  Akiva P 07/06/08
      6.   What are Arab states afraid of? 07:16  |  Genuine Tosefta 07/06/08
      7.   Allow Israel to join the EU 07:57  |  Nick Ferriman 07/06/08
      8.   #6 what are the Arabs afraid of? 08:36  |  e.l 07/06/08
      9.   What are the chances of peace? 08:44  |  Jean Van Daem 07/06/08
      10.   Israel in EU when peace in ME, war criminals behind bars ... 08:45  |  klein 07/06/08
      11.   #8 the Arab dictators 10:02  |  e.l 07/06/08
      12.   arab "dear leaders" are ridicule 10:22  |  Arthur 07/06/08
      13.   Klein: Arab countries in Mediterranean Union when democracy 10:58  |  Arthur 07/06/08
      14.   Compensation 11:25  |  Rafi 07/06/08
      15.   Does better in what exactly tosefta 13:05  |  Dan 07/06/08
      16.   No Peace No Union 13:20  |  Shimshon 07/06/08
      17.   genuine tosefta 14:02  |  northern neighbor 07/06/08
      18.   genuine tosefta.. again 14:09  |  northern neighbor 07/06/08
      19.   Klein #9 14:46  |  SMF 07/06/08
      20.   To my fellow Arabs 15:09  |  Feelthi Nightshoort 07/06/08
      21.   SMF from USA 15:12  |  ClearCut 07/06/08
      22.   Northern neighbor is protesting too much........................ 15:37  |  Genuine Tosefta 07/06/08
      23.   FERRIMAN`S PERFECTV WORLD 15:50  |  Brant 07/06/08
      24.   To Jean Van Daem from Metula 16:02  |  Lebanese in Canada 07/06/08
      25.   genuine tosefta :) 17:07  |  northern neighbor 07/06/08
      26.   to tosefla #19 and # 6 and same 17:16  |  Historian 07/06/08
      27.   Superiority/inferiority complex, n. neighbor? 17:40  |  Genuine Tosefta 07/06/08
      28.   Historian (learn to spell your name) 17:41  |  Iz Ray Leigh 07/06/08
      29.   #20 this is exactly what I posted in different words 17:43  |  Genuine Tosefta 07/06/08
      30.   Trade better than War 17:46  |  Anonymous 07/06/08
      31.   The goal is peace, not war 17:53  |  Anonymous 07/06/08
      32.   Of the Israel doesn`t fit in with the Arabs 17:57  |  Gee 07/06/08
      33.   # 4 Simon Mohammed...Nothing like cutting 19:51  |  Lynn 07/06/08
      34.   #21 clearcut....unwatch.org 19:58  |  Lynn 07/06/08
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      37.   Arab States have oil. Israel will not be welcome. 21:36  |  Stephen. 07/06/08
      38.   "Historian" @#26 21:40  |  Akiva P 07/06/08
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      40.   29. Euro : Israel and Europe 22:17  |  KUTW 07/06/08
      41.   Where is Portugal`s Mediterranean coastline? 22:22  |  Paul Henzen 07/06/08
      42.   Northern whiner 22:33  |  Michael 07/06/08
      43.   Michael in Quds 22:54  |  northern neighbor 07/06/08
      44.   Genuine Tosefta 27 23:13  |  ClearCut 07/06/08
      45.   What is Libia role? Algeria? Is it a role game or a state union? 23:32  |  Alain 07/06/08
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      47.   #36 The issue is Med Union, NOT extension of EU 23:44  |  DesMnsDave 07/06/08
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