Brussels, 11/02/2010 (Agence Europe) - Senior officials responsible for the Euromed process, who gathered in Brussels on Tuesday 9 February, have not yet reached an agreement authorising adoption of the statute for the future UfM (Union for the Mediterranean) secretariat general, the designation of assistant secretaries general and the breakdown of their responsibilities. There has been no change in the dispute between Cyprus and Turkey (the co-presidency had promised the latter the post of assistant secretary general, the sixth, which is challenged by Cyprus).
The two co-presidencies of the UfM (Paris and Cairo) are, however, said to be optimistic, saying that their conciliatory approach towards Turkey and Cyprus is beginning to bear fruit and it would seem things will soon be out of the rut. Some delegations - most appear confident - have put forward 3 March as a foreseeable deadline for overcoming the impasse. The agreement will be in written form. A compromise will be submitted to the different member state governments and they will give their stance on it by referendum. The same “silence procedure” (if there is no objection within a given time, then the compromise is considered adopted) had been used for the designation of the UfM secretary general.
Several comments on this underline the degree of passiveness shown by the participating countries, many of which now focus on their bilateral cooperation with the EU (“advanced status”, for some of them, enhanced status for Israel, prospect of membership for Turkey and the Balkan states), rather than a regional approach now plunged into deep fog. Other comments underline for the first time that the Turkish-Cypriot dispute has moved to a place of secondary importance in the Israeli-Arab conflict. (F.B./transl.jl)