Turkey agrees to attend Mediterranean union launch

PanARMENIAN.Net - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday told French President Nicolas Sarkozy that he hopes to participate in a major summit in Paris on July 13 at which Sarkozy will launch his plan for Mediterranean Union, Today's Zaman reports.



Sarkozy yesterday initiated a telephone conversation with Erdogan in order to personally invite the PM to the summit, officials say.



Erdogang's attendance would be a fresh boost to the project after confirmation on Monday that Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika would attend the launch of the union, which brings together European and Mediterranean countries.



Sarkozy announced the union as one of his flagship ideas after winning election last year, saying it would bring together the Mediterranean's diverse nations in a European-style institution. But the plan to draw on EU funds for a project that did not include EU states without a Mediterranean coast irked Germany and others, forcing Paris to water down the concept and broaden its membership.



Sarkozy invited the leaders of all the future member states to Sunday's summit. The only regional leader who is now expected not to come is Libya's Muammar Gaddafi.