Gadhafi 'will stay away from Med-Union summit'

By Agence France Presse (AFP) Thursday, July 03, 2008 PARIS: Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi will not be attending a summit in Paris later this month to launch a new Union for the Mediterranean, an aide to President Nicolas Sarkozy says. The Libyan leader had strongly criticized Sarkozy's championing of the idea of a Mediterranean Union at an Arab mini-summit in Tripoli last month, saying it threatened Arab and African unity. "The Libyan leader is not coming ... but that does not really sadden me," the aide, who asked not to be identified, said Tuesday. Gadhafi was among the 40 foreign leaders invited to Paris for the first summit on July 13 that will see EU states come together with states from the Mediterranean rim, including Arab nations and Israel, in an effort to promote cooperation. - AFP Your feedback is important to us!... [read full story]