A dispute over the word "nation-state" has prevented the newly-launched Mediterranean Union from issuing a statement that would be backed by both the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel. The proposed final text reiterated support for progress in negotiations between Israel and the PA but omitted the concept of a nation-state.
"At the last minute, we failed on a word," said French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. France sponsored the new organization in an attempt to promote joint economic projects between Arab and Western countries. The disagreement over the word "nation-state" followed an earlier incident in which Syrian President Bashar Assad walked out of a meeting when Prime Minister Ehud Olmert began speaking.