PARIS 14 July 2008 Soldiers from Mediterranean countries to march in Bastille Day military parade

President Nicolas Sarkozy has invited soldiers from Mediterranean countries that include Libya, Syria and Israel to march in a “Euro-Mediterranean Bastille Day” military parade with European troops. The parade comes a day after the leaders of the same countries will be expected in Paris for a Euro-Mediterranean meeting. Sarkozy sees the summit and parade changes as a peace move. Some of France's European Union partners still have to be persuaded the new bloc is a good idea.

The parade is expected to be the biggest yet, and will be followed by a fireworks display and a concert celebrating the start of France’s six-month presidency of the EU and the launch of the Union for the Mediterranean to settle regional problems.

His move is causing tension with Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, for one, doesn't see any merit in the new organization. Backers of Turkish EU membership see in the new body a ploy by Sarkozy to keep the Turks out of Europe.

The London Times says Henri Guaino, a Sarkozy adviser, believes that even a watered-down version would have an effect on terrorism and illegal immigration and would turn around a region ravaged by economic hardship and war.

Bastille Day is the most important French national holiday. It commemorates the storming of the Bastille, which took place on 14 Jul 1789 and marked the beginning of the French Revolution. The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the absolute power of the Louis XVI regime, so the attack on the prison was a sign of freedom and the fight against oppression for all French citizens. Bastille Day was declared the French national holiday when the new Republic was firmly well-established, on 6 July 1880, on Benjamin Raspail’s recommendation. Apr/08

VALENTINA DELLO RUSSO - NEWSAHEAD CORRESPONDENT-EUROPE - CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT. SHE IS AVAILABLE FOR FREELANCE ASSIGNMENT.
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RELATED READING AND LINKS:

German alarm at Nicolas Sarkozy's plans (Times 13 Apr 2008)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3736045.ece

French symbols:
http://www.elysee.fr/lapresidence/index.php?mode=symboles

Photos of the last parade :
http://www.elysee.fr/photos/?mode=gallery&year=2007&month=7&datepage=1&eventpage=2&id=36

The Tourism Office:
http://www.parisinfo.com/