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Sarkozy opens Mediterranean talks Mediterranean Union is launched
(about 2 hours later)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has opened a summit of 43 leaders in Paris to launch a new union between Europe and Mediterranean rim nations. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has launched a new international body with 43 member nations aimed at ending conflict in the Middle East.
The union will tackle such issues as regional unrest, immigration and pollution. The Union for the Mediterranean will tackle issues such as regional unrest, immigration to pollution.
Mr Sarkozy said its aim was to ensure the region's people could love each other instead of making war. At the summit's opening in Paris, Mr Sarkozy said its aim was to ensure the region's people could love each other instead of making war.
Earlier, the Israeli and Palestinian leaders expressed their optimism over the chances for Middle East peace. Israeli and Palestinian leaders earlier expressed optimism about peace talks.
Mr Sarkozy said the group "will build peace in the Mediterranean together, like yesterday we built peace in Europe". Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel and the Palestinians have never been as close to a peace deal as they are now.
Welcoming the presence of Arab states alongside Israel, Greece alongside Turkey and Morocco alongside Algeria, he added that the group would not be "north against south, not Europe against the rest... but united". He was speaking after talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who said both sides were serious and wanted to achieve peace.
Transform the regionTransform the region
Mr Sarkozy has long spearheaded the idea of a union for the Mediterranean. Mr Sarkozy urged Middle Eastern countries involved in long-running conflict to end the deadly spiral of war and violence, as European nations had done by making peace which each other during the 20th Century.
Mr Sarkozy says his presidency of the EU is committed to progress on Middle East peaceMr Sarkozy says his presidency of the EU is committed to progress on Middle East peace
He recently claimed the grouping could transform the region into an area of peace and prosperity. He said the grouping "will build peace in the Mediterranean together, like yesterday we built peace in Europe".
Comprising 27 EU members with states from north Africa, the Balkans, Israel and the Arab world, the union's membership will include 756m people from Western Europe to the Jordanian desert.
Welcoming the presence of Arab states alongside Israel, Greece alongside Turkey and Morocco alongside Algeria, Mr Sarkozy said the group would not be "north against south, not Europe against the rest... but united".
He outlined the group's determination to focus on concrete projects focusing on the environment, immigration, security cooperation, transport and education.
The French president was clearly buoyed by the presence in Paris of so many Mediterranean rim leaders and said the union would be based on concrete projects, says BBC world affairs correspondent Nick Childs.The French president was clearly buoyed by the presence in Paris of so many Mediterranean rim leaders and said the union would be based on concrete projects, says BBC world affairs correspondent Nick Childs.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner urged the countries to unite, saying underlying tensions and growing disparities were too risky to ignore. Israeli and Palestinian leaders have expressed high hopes for a deal
But critics have dismissed the new union as lacking substance, and diplomats say there are continuing disagreements over key issues such as how to address the Middle East peace process and a possible role for the Arab League.But critics have dismissed the new union as lacking substance, and diplomats say there are continuing disagreements over key issues such as how to address the Middle East peace process and a possible role for the Arab League.
The only leader boycotting the Paris meeting is Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi, who has described the union as a new form of colonialism. The only leader boycotting the Paris meeting was Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi, who has described the union as a new form of colonialism.
France and Egypt plan to co-chair the new organisation for the first few years. Mr Sarkozy played down the absence of Moroccan King Mohammed VI, saying he had sent his brother as a senior representative.
Never closer Mr Sarkozy is one of those politicians who is full of surprises because he is always campaigning class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markmardell/">Mardell blog: Sea of Tranquillity?
He also dismissed suggestions the Syrian president had snubbed Israel by walking out of a speech by Ehud Olmert.
Meanwhile, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said both he and Mr Olmert were serious and wanted peace.Meanwhile, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said both he and Mr Olmert were serious and wanted peace.
Israeli and Palestinian leaders have expressed high hopes for a deal
Israeli PM Ehud Olmert said his country had never been so close to reaching an agreement with the Palestinians as now.Israeli PM Ehud Olmert said his country had never been so close to reaching an agreement with the Palestinians as now.
He added that he would like direct talks with Syria, but warned they must not hinder talks with the Palestinians.He added that he would like direct talks with Syria, but warned they must not hinder talks with the Palestinians.
Mr Sarkozy said the role of Europe and France was to help achieve peace through economic development, political initiatives and providing guarantees for all stakeholders.
He said the main problem was one of confidence.
"How can we achieve peace in this part of the world unless we build confidence, unless we extend the hand of peace and take the initiative?" he said.
BBC Europe editor Mark Mardell, in Paris, said the meeting had been very optimistic.
Mr Sarkozy is one of those politicians who is full of surprises because he is always campaigning Mardell blog: Sea of Tranquillity?
Progress has already been made in other areas. Mr Sarkozy announced on Saturday that Syria and Lebanon had agreed to set up embassies in each other's capitals for the first time.
Relations between the two have been strained since Lebanon's former PM Rafik Hariri was assassinated in 2005 - an attack which Lebanon claims Syria was involved in.
The French president has asked Syria's leader Bashar Assad to use his ties with Iran to help resolve the international stand-off over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to use the summit to recommend increasing EU sanctions on Zimbabwe's leadership, following the rejection of a sanctions resolution by the UN Security Council.