Malta loses out to Spain for seat of Med. Union

Malta has lost its bid to host the seat of the Mediterranean Union to Barcelona, Spain, which was unanimously chosen by Mediterranean and European ministers.

The decision, taken by 43 foreign ministers represented in the union during a meeting in Marseilles, ends a four-month tug-of-war over where to base the secretariat of the new forum.

Sources said the final compromise saw Malta formally withdraw its candidacy in exchange for one of the posts of deputy secretary generals and a liaison office in the new set-up.

"This is one of the many deals done," the sources said.

Following France's pressure to strike an agreement, Malta was given the right to have a citizen as one of the union's deputy secretary generals, based in Barcelona, and to host a small office for dialogue between the EU and the Arab League in Malta, the sources added.

The union plans to have at least another four deputy secretary generals from Italy, Greece, Israel and Palestine.

The deal with Malta was not the only one negotiated by France.

"Just days before this summit, France persuaded Tunisia to withdraw its candidacy in a similar exchange for a secretary general of Tunisian origin. At the same time, Spain was promised the seat if it accepted that the union's name would not include the words Barcelona Process," the sources added. Malta had expressed interest to host the union's secretariat ever since the idea emerged for a Mediterranean dialogue to take over the defunct Barcelona Process. Spain launched Barcelona's candidacy when the union was formally inaugurated in Paris last July.

Originally, the new union was baptised as the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean. However, Spain has agreed to remove the first part, bringing it more in tune with the original name proposed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who came up with the idea of the union.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tonio Borg, who represented Malta at the Marseilles meeting, welcomed the decision to have a new liaison office of the union in Malta and said it should help strengthen relations between the EU and the Arab world.