EU struggles to strike terror pact with mostly Muslim neighbours

French President Jacques Chirac (R) talks with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas (top L) as Finnish President Tarja Halonen (L) and her Slovenian counterpart Janez Jansa look on during the family photo at the Euromed summit in Barcelona yesterday. The European Union hopes to finalise an anti-terrorism code of conduct with its mostly Muslim southern neighbours on Monday, at the end of a summit clouded by the absence of most Arab leaders.. PHOTO: AFP

Discord over the definition of terrorism marked the gathering and tensions bubbled over late Sunday when an Algerian minister lashed out at EU demands for reform in exchange for more money at the meeting in Barcelona, where the so-called Euro-Mediterranean partnership was launched 10 years ago.

Ministerial-level delegations wrangled into the early hours trying to make headway ahead of a final conference scheduled for 1:30 pm (1230 GMT), European diplomatic sources said, but their efforts could not disguise the discord.

Along with terrorism, illegal immigration is the key issue on the agenda, although Arab states are angry that and terrorism have bumped economic development down the list of priorities.

On Monday the morning round of discussions was behind closed doors but microphones were inadvertently left on, allowing Spanish media to pick up snatches of the exchanges.

"A text must be agreed, come what may," on tackling terrorism, said Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, co-hosting the summit with British counterpart Tony Blair.

Zapatero made the comment after his head of international relations, Carles Casajuana, told him that "the texts aren't going too well, we're trying to sort something out.

"They're about to throw in the towel," Casajuana added, calling on Zapatero to urge Blair to rescue the situation.

The microphones also picked up Casajuana commenting that the Israeli delegation led by Finance Minister Ehud Olmert "have spent six months not accepting the text and the others (the Arab partner states) are unfazed because they say it's all Israel's fault."

Agreement on a terror Code of Conduct has foundered on an Arab states' demands for a reference justifying "resistance movements" in the final text.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the sticking point was a question of wording, insisting all sides agreed on the fundamental need to fight terrorism.

"We have all suffered from terrorism, whether its at Sharm-el-Sheikh, Madrid or London," he said. "Cooperation between countries on the north and south (of the Mediterranean) in the fight against terrorism is total."

Solana also downplayed the absence of most Arab leaders at the summit of the bloc with its Mediterranean-rim partners: only Palestinian chief Mahmud Abbas and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan led highest-level delegations.

"The important thing is not the spokesman, but what the spokesman says, and what the countries will say," he said.

But European Parliament head Josep Borrell said a stronger Arab presence "would have presented a stronger political commitment.

"Some absences were justified, others less so," said Borrell The Euromed partnership brings together the 25-nation EU with Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey.