Mediterranean forum foreign minister meetings begin

The meetings of foreign ministers from the countries of the Mediterranean forum started yesterday in the Maltese capital, Valetta, which includes France, Italy, Portugal, Morocco, Algeria, Spain, Tunisia, Malta, Turkey, Greece and Egypt.

Egypt's delegation to the meetings is headed by Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, who said before leaving Cairo that the meetings will tackle peace in the area and prepare for the coming Stuttgart conference on the Euro-Mediterranean partnership on April 15 - 16, as well as discussing terrorism issues and enhancing relations among countries of the forum and similar international organizations.

Map reported that the two-day session is also discussing the elaboration of a peace and stability charter in the Mediterranean and the movement of people in the region.

Opening the session on Thursday, Malta's foreign minister, Guido de Marco, pleaded for the elaboration of the peace and stability charter in the Mediterranean, Map said. Such a charter, he argued, will enable the eleven member countries of the forum to push forward the Euro-Mediterranean partnership process.

He recalled that the idea of the charter was first launched in 1995 in Paris during the conference on the stability pact in Europe and that the charter seeks to promote the principle of preventive diplomacy and to secure security in the region, Map reported.

Moussa expressed his hope that the forum may play a real role in the area.