Brussels, 19/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - The annual ministerial conference of EU and Mediterranean rim countries is compromised, if one is to believe the French daily Le Monde (17/10/2009), which confirms a rumour persisting in Brussels since work began after the summer. “It is now likely that the next ministerial meeting early November in Istanbul will not be held. Egypt has announced its intention to boycott the meeting due to the presence of Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman”, the paper's correspondent in Israel, Laurent Zecchini, writes. The “Lieberman pretext” exists, a European source says, but nothing is yet official.
Each year in November foreign ministers of the EU and Mediterranean rim countries meet in the country of the European Presidency to take stock of and seek to break the deadlock in Euro-Mediterranean dialogue. Sweden, which holds the current rotating EU Presidency, has shown only a marginal interest in Euro-Mediterranean dialogue and has delegated organisation of the traditional session to Turkey. The continuing dispute between Sweden and Israel since the contested coverage of Israeli conduct during the war in Gaza at the end of 2008, does not seem to have encouraged Stockholm to join a Euro-Arab gathering that one assumes will be “electric”, all the more - this argument being put forward not only in Cairo but also in almost all Arab capitals - as a meeting with Avigdor Lieberman could not be envisaged in the current context (failure of US attempts to rekindle the peace process, uncertain prospects, controversial debate on the “Goldstone report”', the fruit of an inquiry into “war crimes” during the Gaza offensive, and clear worsening of Israeli-Turk relations). The EU, which was embarrassed by the UN Council of Human Rights' adoption last week of the report of an inquiry, is reportedly not in a hurry to let Istanbul run the risk of being reproached by its Arab partners for not having supported the vote in Geneva.
The organisation of a meeting in Turkey would, however, be the first of a kind as foreign ministers have not as yet met outside the current European Community territory. The choice of Turkey was made under its former relations with Israel. The context has since changed and a considerable distance has been noted in relations between these two countries albeit linked by a military alliance considered to date as sound. Cyprus and Greece, for their part, are not favourable towards putting Turkey forward in this way. Nicosia, in particular - until it has the guarantee that Ankara will not be a barrier if it claims a post of responsibility within the Euro-Mediterranean joint structure - contests the fact that a sixth post of UfM deputy secretary general has been created and offered to Turkey.
Egypt's motivation is also due to the bitterness that it has felt since its candidate to UNESCO was dropped, not only by the European countries but especially by France, its partner and ally on the Euro-Mediterranean scene. Paris and Cairo jointly assure the presidency of the Union for the Mediterranean and signs of Egyptian “bad temper” can now be seen (for example, cancellation of a cooperation agreement with the French museum, Le Louvre, and the demand for a return of antiquities). On the whole, Egypt's enthusiasm is on the wane, convergent sources say. The greatest motivation, however, remains that linked to the Israeli-Palestinian dossier. The context of current blocking and weakly predicted American breakthrough in this dossier is no incentive for the Egyptian government to take the risk of going against Arab public opinion as during the Israeli offensive at the end of 2008 - all the more as its efforts for Palestinian reconciliation are currently in an impasse. (F.B./transl.jl)