Syria will not attend Euro- Mediterranean partnership conference

An Arab diplomatic source in Doha said on Tuesday that the Syrian foreign minister Farouk al-Shara will boycott the Euro-Med Conference on the Euro- Mediterranean partnership, adding " but the other Arab states have decided to take part at the ministerial level."

The source added that al-Shara's decided not to go to Marseilles, adding that consultation inside the Arab group stopped because of Damascus's opposition to participate in the Euro-Med. In the absence of guarantees on a first stance by the European Union concerning the explosive conditions in the Palestinian territories.

The diplomat added that the recent consultation were held on Late Monday evening but ended without reaching an agreement on a collective Arab participation.