Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Syrian President Bashar Al Assad during Paris' Union for the Mediterranean founding summit at the Grand Palais in Paris, France on July 13, 2008. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and 42 leaders launch today a union between Europe and its Mediterranean neighbours but tensions among Middle East countries could undermine the grand plan. Photo by Elodie Gregoire/ABACAPRESS.COM