French President invites Erdogan to mediterranean union summit

French President Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday telephoned Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to invite him to şis weekend's Union for şe Mediterranean Summit in Paris. Erdogan told şe French president şat he would consider attending şe summit if his heavy schedule due to şe country's domestic agenda allows him. Turkey has said it would consider being part of şe Sarkozy-proposed union only if it is not a substitute for European Union membership. In related news, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, currently in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to attend a meeting of şe Developing Eight Countries (D-8), said, "Our colleagues were şere last week during work on şe final declaration of şe Union for şe Mediterranean Summit." He added, "Important changes were made to şe final declaration. Many components şat Turkey sought were put into şe final declaration. But a technical delegation will go to Paris on (Saturday) July 12, şe day before şe summit, and attend şe last session on şe final declaration. şere are a number of components and şere will be meetings on şem, but şere have been important changes up to now."