Brussels, 31/08/2010 (Agence Europe) - France and Egypt, which jointly preside the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), are planning to call a “peace summit” on the Middle East in November. This was announced on Monday 30 August by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his Egyptian counterpart, Hosni Moubarak, who was passing through Paris on his way to Washington where he is to attend the launch of direct Israeli-Palestinian talks. The summit should be held on 20 November - no location has yet been given - and, according to French press reports, all leading players in the conflict, including Israel, should be present around the table.
After deferral of the summit envisaged in July this year under Spanish presidency, due in particular to the unfavourable Middle East context, the two joint presidencies had fixed the date for the meeting of heads of state of member countries for November, to mark the second anniversary of the Union for the Mediterranean. At this stage, it is not known whether the two initiatives will merge or whether the “peace summit” will be organised elsewhere. The idea, as such, is not new. It has been in the air for over a year now and was, on one hand, to serve to better underline the role that France - and in particular its foreign minister - is seeking to play in the peace process. On the other hand, it was to avoid bringing together the foreign ministers, one of the most visible being Avigdor Lieberman of Israel who was almost unanimously deemed undesirable in joint meetings. Also, Paris has regularly announced such a “peace summit” at times considered to be very timely for promoting its presence on the international diplomatic scene, as witnessed by the recent heated exchange between Bernard Kouchner and High Representative Catherine Ashton (EUROPE 10203). To this must also be added the permanent concern of the French government to differentiate itself from the European institutions in the management of the UfM, whose institutional autonomy it has often affirmed. The uncertain outcome of the direct Israeli-Palestinian talks under the patronage of the Americans for now means that the Franco-Egyptian initiative remains in the realm of conjecture. (F.B./transl.jl)