Brussels, 17/02/2004 (Agence Europe) - In an interview with La Repubblica, in which he speaks out against the tripartite summit in Berlin and any board of managers within the EU (see p.5), the Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, who believes that "triumvirates destroy Europe", said: "If, around a table for three, it can be decided what suits London-Paris-Berlin, we will see what suits us. We will back the theme of the Euro-Mediterranean strategy, for the development and safety of the region and thus for the EU". Mr Frattini, who pointed out that Italy hoped to present a "partnership proposal with the south shores of the Mediterranean" to NATO in early March, said: "Italy, Greece and Spain, together with Malta and Cyprus, should develop their ideas" for this kind of strategy together. He added: "some people are imprudently saying that we must avoid counter-boards of directors. I say we must avoid strong groups. It the Berlin group is not a board of directors, then our Euro-Mediterranean convention is not a counter-board of directors". (In Berlin "they are playing at bilaterals, not European talks, and the first refers to the British cheque", said the Minister, warning: on this, Italy and Spain, the second and third biggest payers, "will also want to have their say").