Brussels, 05/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - European Commission President Romano Prodi is to make a three-day visit to the Mashrak, from Wednesday, at a crucial juncture for the region, just a few days after the elections in Israel and following the setting up of the new American Administration. Mr. Prodi will be in Jordan on 7 and 8 February, Lebanon on 8 and 9 February and Syria on 9 and 10 February (you may recall that Romano Prodi visited Algeria and Morocco from 11 to 15 January).
During his talks, President Prodi intends in particular affirming the EU's support for the furtherance of the peace process in the Middle East and for the euro-Mediterranean Process of Barcelona, in compliance with the strategic goals set at the ministerial meeting of Marseilles, last November. Furthermore, he will underpin the Commission's support for greater South-South regional cooperation and, in that context, he and his interlocutors should broach the difficulties raised by the crucial question of sharing water in the region. Furthermore, are announced on these visits: financing for Syria (economic and social reform, aid to the creation of a Business School) and Lebanon (aid to the introduction of VAT).
May we remind you that the EU/Jordan Association Agreement has already been concluded but still needs ratifying (speaking before the EP, Mr. Patten deplored the "lamentably low" speed of ratification by Member States), and the Commission hopes that the agreements with Lebanon and Syria will be concluded swiftly (for negotiations with Lebanon, the aim is to complete them towards the middle of the year).