Growing support for Malta initiative to promote EU-Arab League dialogue

Collaboration between the European Union and the Arab League was discussed extensively yesterday at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Bremen, Germany.

Foreign Minister Michael Frendo said the talks showed growing support for Malta's initiative to develop a stronger structured dialogue between the two organisations.

He said that, as part of the European Neighbourhood Policy, it was time to strengthen a structured dialogue with the member states of the Arab League on issues such as reform, the politics of moderation, development, energy security and climate change.

Earlier Dr Frendo spoke on the phone with Amr Moussa, Secretary-General of the Arab League, about the current state of play of the Malta initiative to create a structured pre-emptive dialogue between the EU and the Arab League.

Mr Moussa reiterated his full support for the Malta initiative. Mr Moussa had also welcomed Malta's proposal both in the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Arab League in Cairo on March 4-5, and last week while addressing the Euro-Med Parliamentary Assembly in Tunis.

Dr Frendo told the meeting: "Europe needs to have a circle of friends to the east and to the south. This is an integral part of our mission in Common Foreign and Security Policy as we work with our neighbours to have an integrated space of peace and stability and increased prosperity through greater economic and political freedoms."

He also stressed that freedom of movement is essential to the creation and functioning of this circle of friends. The EU visa policy, therefore, needed to be monitored and reviewed to facilitate the movement of persons from neighbouring countries.

The meeting also discussed developments on Kosovo and the situation in the Middle East.

Speaking about the Middle East, Dr Frendo said the EU had to express, on the ground, its welcome of the Palestinian national unity government and that President Mahmoud Abbas remained crucial to achieving peace.

The EU should be bold in its initiatives for peace and take into account that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has stated that the Arab peace initiative was a good basis for negotiation.

"We must have the courage to take forward all the possibilities in this issue and we must ensure that progress is registered now that there is a government of national unity that has to work for a two-state solution." Dr Frendo said.