RETHYMNON, Greece: The Mediterranean Forum, comprising 11 countries in the region, expressed its concern on Saturday about deteriorating living conditions in the Palestinian territories. Several ministers present at the meeting also reiterated their call for international assistance to support the Palestinian people, said a statement issued at the end of the two-day meeting on the Greek island of Crete. The Palestinian question remains the key problem in the Middle East, it said, adding that the aim must be a negotiated settlement creating a Palestinian state that was independent, sovereign and democratic, living side by side next to Israel in peace and security.
The forum – which comprises Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey – also discussed the current violence in Lebanon and expressed its support for the government of Prime Minister Fouad Seniora.
