By KUNA,
Brussles : Promoting deeper ties between the European Union and countries in the southern Mediterranean is a top priority on the foreign affairs agenda of France’s EU Presidency starting July 1.
French ambassador to the EU, Pierre Sellal, said here Friday that the Union of the Mediterranean is a “great objective” and a top priority for France’s EU Presidency in the second half of 2008.
Speaking at an event organised by the think tank European Policy Centre, he noted that the Union will be officially launched in Paris on July 13 as a new opportunity for cooperation in the Mediterranean.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy first advanced the idea to create the project during his presidential campaign last year.
EU leaders in March gave the green light to the French idea but after relabelling it as “Barcelona process : Union of the Mediterranean.”
But many in the Arab world see the initiative as a political trick to promote normalization of Arab-Israeli relations before any solution of the Palestine question.
Earlier this week, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi rejected the French proposal on the Union, warning it would threaten Arab and African unity.
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said on Wednesday that Arab countries have their doubts about the proposed Union and will continue talks on the project.
Sellal said the French EU Presidency has four main priorities, energy, climate change, defence, and immigration policy. He made no reference to any other foreign policy issues.
France wants to make progress on a common European immigration policy and promote nuclear energy as an important energy source.
Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss and endorse on Monday an 18-month programme covering the activities of the Council of the EU from the July 1, 2008 till the December 31, 2009.
On January 1, 2009, the Czech Republic will take over the EU Presidency from France and Sweden will assume the rotating six-month Presidency on July 1, 2009.