Brussels, 29/03/2004 (Agence Europe) - When asked about the cancellation of the Arab League Summit, which should have opened in Tunis on 29 March, a European Commission spokesperson said that the Commission now looks forward to consultations between the countries in question, and also pointed out the EU's two imminent meetings with several States from the region: with the countries taking part in the Barcelona process on 5 and 6 May and with the Gulf Co-operation Council on 18 May. It is worth noting that the mid-term report on a strategic partnership between the EU and the Middle-East and the Mediterranean stressed the need for prior consultation with leaders from the region, and with regard to the "Wider Middle East", the American administration intends to make revised proposals in the light of requests by the Arab League Summit 'see EUROPE of 26 March, p.6, for the mid-term report, and of 27 March, p.8, on the deliberations of the European Council).
On Saturday night, Tunisia decided to postpone the Summit because, according to a press release by its Foreign Minister, "differences of opinion have emerged on certain amendments and proposals presented by Tunisia on issues it feels are fundamental and strategic for the process of reform and modernisation in Arab countries". Speaking to the Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, Mohamed Banaïssa, Tunisian Minister for Foreign Affairs, raised the possibility of convening an extraordinary meeting of Foreign Ministers in two weeks' time at the latest. President Moubarak then announced that Egypt was prepared to host a Summit in Cairo in two or three weeks, but the Tunisian authorities indicated that they reserved the right to hold a Summit in Tunisia.