Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and her Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moallem sat at the same table at the beginning of the Mediterranean Union (MU) summit Sunday, but organizers made sure they were far apart. Officials seated the officials by alphabetical order of their countries, ensuring that the Syrian and Israeli foreign ministers would not have close contact.

The two countries are declared enemies, but Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Syrian President Bashar Assad recently announced they are conducting indirect talks through Turkish mediators. Forty-three countries have sent delegates to the conference to launch the new regional organization.