Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has told Israeli radio on Tuesday that he will attend the Union for the Mediterranean summit next month in Barcelona.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had said they would boycott the summit if Lieberman attended.
“We don’t boycott anyone,” Lieberman said. “If they decide not to come, it will be their problem.”
Israeli newspaper Haaretz has reported that Cairo and Damascus informed Spain, the host country, and France, the head of the union, that all Arab leaders and foreign ministers would boycott the summit should Lieberman attend.
European diplomats consider the move an escalation of the boycott against Lieberman.
Arab foreign ministers refused to attend a union meeting a few months ago in Istanbul for the same reason, which led to the meeting’s cancelation.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
