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IRAQ: EU Finds Common Ground with Mediterranean Countries

Sanjay Suri

LONDON, May 7 2004 (IPS) - Foreign ministers from an enlarged EU found common ground on Iraq with their counterparts from the Mediterranean countries at a meeting in Dublin this week.

At the end of a two-day meeting the ministers called “on all parties in Iraq to work together to establish a sovereign, independent, democratic and peaceful Iraq whose territorial integrity is preserved and which lives in peace with its neighbours”.

The ministers also agreed to “help the Iraqi people rebuild their country and regain its proper place in the regional as well as the international family.”

The carefully worded agreement was politically significant. Many of the nine Mediterranean countries – Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey û have taken a strong stand on Iraq that clashes with the U.S. position. The Palestinian Authority is the 10th member of the Mediterranean group.

Several European Union (EU) countries including France and Germany, and now Spain have distanced themselves from the U.S. position. An agreement among them that suggests that Iraqi people are given real and not token power sends out a strong signal about the proposed handover of power to Iraqis June 30.

The United States has said it will continue to maintain its 135,000- strong force within Iraq after that date, and that it would continue to have a say in the administration of Iraq. British Prime Minister Tony Blair has supported the U.S. position, but British officials are reported to be negotiating a more substantial handover of power than the U.S. dominated Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq envisages.

The ministers said a “strong UN role” is an “essential element” for a successful transition of power. They condemned both hostage-taking and the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, though their declaration took note of the “prompt response by the UK and U.S. authorities in instigating investigations”.

Inevitably, peace in the Middle East figured prominently during the meetings held May 5 and 6. European Commissioner for External Affairs Chris Patten had declared before the meeting: “Despite the negative effects of the stuttering Middle East Peace Process, we still maintain our aspiration of building a common zone of peace, prosperity and progress in the Mediterranean region.”

The meeting found much common ground for agreement also over the Middle East, even though the Mediterranean members include Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

The ministers “reaffirmed their commitment to a negotiated two-state solution agreed between the parties which would result in a viable, contiguous, sovereign and independent Palestinian state existing side by side in peace with an Israel living within recognised and secure borders.”

The ministers agreed that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s announced intention to withdraw from all Gaza settlements and parts of the West Bank “must bring about a full Israeli withdrawal and complete end of occupation in Gaza”.

The participation from the Mediterranean countries was relatively weak, but ministers present included Algeria’s Foreign Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem, Israeli foreign minister Silvan Shalom and and Libyan foreign minister Abd-al-Rahman Muhammad Shalqam, who was present as observer.

The agreement marks also a considerable strengthening of the Euro- Mediterranean Partnership launched in Barcelona in November 1995.

The ministers decided to “reinvigorate” the Barcelona process. EU officials are working on an agreed view on relations with the Mediterranean countries in time for a meeting of the European Council in June. The European Council is the political decision-making body of the EU.

Following EU expansion, the Mediterranean Countries are next in sight for the EU through its ‘European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plans’. The ministers agreed that “cooperation should be intensified both at regional level and bilaterally”.

Several Mediterranean countries have already identified the priority sectors in which they want improved access to the EU market through EU- harmonised legislation.

The meeting will seek also to underline trade relations. These include the realisation of a Euro-Mediterranean free trade area by 2010.

This includes the controversial agricultural trade where several Mediterranean members are opposed to EU subsidies. “Mutual liberalisation of agricultural trade should remain a priority for the deepening of the Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area,” the ministers agreed.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has already opened an office in Cairo and is considering opening other offices in Mediterranean countries. The EU has an annual budget of more than a billion dollars to promote trade with the Mediterranean countries.