EU stresses commitment to establishing peace in Middle East
The European Commission on Thursday announced that Chris Patten, the commissioner for European foreign affairs, will hold a tour which will cover several countries in the Middle East in which he will assert the commitment of the European Union to establishing a durable peace in the region.
Patten's tour, which will take place on April 1-7, will cover Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Israel.
Next Sunday Patten is expected to hold talks with the foreign ministers of Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Togo, prior to the Euro-African summit which will be held in Cairo.
This is Patten's first tour of the Middle East since he assumed his new post in September, 1999.
