Arab League head boycotts Euromed meeting

The European Union played down a decision by the head of the Arab League to boycott a forum of EU and Mediterranean foreign ministers in protest at what he saw as EU president Italy's bias in favour of Israel.

An Arab League spokesman said yesterday Secretary-General Amr Moussa would skip the twice-yearly meeting of the Euro-Mediterranean Conference beginning in Naples today, although he will be represented by his deputy, Ahmed Ben Helli.

"This is an act of protest against Italy but not against the European Union," a spokesman for EU External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten, who will attend, told Reuters.

Mr Moussa had complained about remarks last week by Deputy Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini, who said Israel's building of a security wall was an act of self-defence. Palestinians, in whose territory the wall is being built, see it as a land-grab.

The spokesman said Mr Fini did not represent the EU's view. The meeting will be chaired by Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, as Italy holds the rotating presidency of the bloc.

"(Mr) Frattini speaks for the Italian presidency, not (Mr) Fini," the spokeman said. "(Mr) Frattini has expressed his views very clearly on the issue of the wall."

He added that the Arab League was an observer, not a full member of the conference, and all Mediterranean members were expected to be represented by their foreign ministers. Mr Patten's spokesman said the EU would emphasise human rights, with the bloc proposing to put aside a percentage of regional assistance to countries with better rights records.

"This is particularly important against a background of the crisis in the Middle East and recent bomb attacks in Istanbul, Casablanca and Riyadh," he said, adding that the EU was looking for improvements in jails, judges and electoral administration.

The conference, known as Euromed, brings together the 15 EU member states and Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Cyprus, Malta and Israel.