Sarkozy On A Mediterranean Union

[Joanne98]

More On A Mediterranean Union

French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged the disparate and conflicted countries around the Mediterranean Sea on Sunday to make peace as European rivals did in the 20th century, as he launched an unprecedented Union for the Mediterranean.

“The European and the Mediterranean dreams are inseparable,” Sarkozy told leaders from more than 40 nations in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. “We will succeed together; we will fail together.”

The union Sarkozy championed as a pillar of his presidency brought together around one table for the first time dignitaries such rival nations as Israel and Syria, Algeria and Morocco, Turkey and Greece.

Coping with age-old enmities involving their peoples and others along the Mediterranean shores will be a central challenge to the new union encompassing some 800 million people.

A draft declaration obtained by The Associated Press shows that summit participants will announce “objectives of achieving peace, stability and security” in the region. The six firm measures it names include a region-wide solar energy project, a cross-Mediterranean student exchange program and a plan to clean up the polluted sea.

The draft declaration says the Union for the Mediterranean is to be operational by the end of this year, and unlike any previous body, it will be jointly run by all its members. It will have a dual presidency, held jointly for rotating terms by one country within the European Union and one country on the Mediterranean shore.

The draft also speaks of democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms — values Western critics have accused such union members as Syria of violating.

The new union is to include at least 43 nations, nearly all of which sent a president or prime minister to the summit. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi objected to the whole idea and refused to come

THis was proposed in the 90’s I believe by Turkey, but for some reason it was not a popular proposal, but now it is. I ask why? Is there already enough organizations on the market?

http://lobotero.wordpress.com/2008/07/14/more-on-a-mediterranean-union/