EuroMed summit seeks consensus

European Union leaders have opened a two-day summit with their Mediterranean neighbors, hoping to find common ground on the fight against terror and progress on democratic reform in return for continued aid and increasing trade.

Diplomats at the Barcelona meeting faced a deadline of Monday noon to come up with common conclusions between nations as different as Syria and Britain.

"As always, there will be negotiations until the end, but I am optimistic we will get an agreement," said EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner on Sunday.

Diplomats said problems remained in the phrasing of the declaration on the fight against terror.

A "Common Vision" declaration would crown a summit to celebrate 10 years of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, but the meeting started badly when only two of the 10 leaders from outside the EU showed up.

"Obviously, there are various reasons why some of the leaders have not been able to come, but I am sure we shall have a good conference nonetheless," said British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the summit host.

Leaders absent

The absence of such leaders as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gave centre stage to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and he met with Blair and new German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He lauded EU involvement in the past week's opening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt and said that will be soon be followed by more.

"In principle we are ready to support" such moves, said Ferrero-Waldner.

Merkel said Europe can only win the support of North African and Middle Eastern nations in the fight against terror and illegal immigration "if we offer these countries an economic perspective."

The summit, she said, must give a signal "that we need one another".

Leaders from Egypt, Algeria, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia and Morocco stayed away from the meeting, with reasons ranging from a medical problem for Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to political unrest at home for Egypt President Hosni Mubarak. Apart from Abbas, the only non-EU leader expected to turn up was Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The EU spends $3.5 billion a year in grants and soft loans on its southern neighbors.

Demonstration

In the centre of Barcelona, more than 2000 demonstrators banging drums and blowing whistles called the partnership a failure, unable to alleviate poverty in northern Africa or bring peace to the Middle East.

"Here many declarations of intentions are made. But things simply don't change," said Spanish legislator Joan Herrera.