EU urges Arabs to hold summit

SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt, March 30 (UPI) -- The European Union urged Arab leaders Tuesday to hold an aborted summit, which had been scheduled to take place in Tunisia this week.

Irish Foreign Minister Brian Queen told journalists after a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik Tuesday that "Europe approved Egypt's call to convene the summit as soon as possible under Tunisia's presidency."

Queen, whose country is the current head of EU's rotating presidency, said: "Important issues are awaiting the Arab leaders at their summit," in reference to political reforms Arab countries are supposed to introduce and the Arab peace initiative adopted unanimously at the Beirut summit in 2002.

He said the EU is ready to offer Arabs assistance if they agree among themselves on proposed reforms, including a U.S. initiative for a so-called Greater Middle East.

Zine el-Abidine ben Ali, Tunisia's president, called off the two-day summit citing inter-Arab differences over halting violence in the Middle East conflict and political reforms.