EU Not Asks for Attending Summit in Egypt: ChiracFrench President Jacques Chirac said in Biarritz, France, Saturday that the European Union (EU) is only "available" to attend the envisaged emergency summit on Mideast to be held in Egypt, but has not asked for attending.Chirac denied at a press conference all the reports which quoted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak as saying that the EU, France and Spain have asked for attending such a summit. Mubarak will host a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, which is expected to be attended by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, U.S. President Bill Clinton and U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. The Palestinians have also asked the EU and Russia to attend this summit. Chirac said that the EU welcomed the initiative by Mubarak for such a summit and "that's all." "The European Union, France, and any other member country, have never asked for participating... If we can do something, we will be available," said Chirac. The EU has issued a solemn declaration on Friday urging Israel and Palestinians to immediately stop the chain of violence and resume dialogue. |
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