New York, 11/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission President Romano Prodi, who was in New York for the Millennium Summit, organised at the United Nations, has last Friday (before going to Versailles, for the informal Ecofin Council: see below), had several bilateral meetings with leaders who took part in the summit.
Thus, as indicated in the Commission Communiqué, Mr Prodi met in particular the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, with whom he raised the European Union contribution to the Middle East peace process, notably in the light of the EU15 talks on this issue in Evian (see EUROPE of 4/5 September, p.6). With Mr Barak, Mr Prodi also discussed the economic and trade relations of the European Union with Israel, and with other countries of the region. Mr Prodi also met the Iranian President Seyed Mohammad Khatami, who invited him to make an official visit to Teheran. The meeting - which, notes the Communiqué, was "a sign of the improvement in reciprocal relations" - covered in particular economic cooperation, the problem of refugees and drug trafficking, as well as the possibility of exchanging diplomatic representations between Brussels and Teheran. The Communiqué adds that it was agreed to work towards improving economic, scientific and technical cooperation. Finally, Mr Prodi met the Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, with whom he discussed bilateral relations and the relations of Chile with the Mercosur. The Communiqué recalls that, during his visit to Latin America, which starts on 20 September, the European Commissioner Pascal Lamy would visit Santiago.