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In Warsaw, the conference co-organized by Poland and the United States on peace and security in the Middle East officially began this Wednesday evening February 13 with the arrival of the main delegations of 65 countries. This event had initially been clearly presented by the US Secretary of State as a gathering of forces to counter the Iranian threat. A position that created the division especially among European countries and that complicated the organization of this conference.
With our special correspondent in Warsaw , Oriane Verdier
Until the last moment, it was difficult to know how this conference would take place and who would participate.
Some took a clear position. Russia and Turkey, for example, declined the invitation. Iran was simply not invited.
Conversely, the US allies in the Middle East have of course responded. Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu made a remarkable entrance a few hours ago, hand in hand with the Omani foreign minister.
But in an in-between, there are for example some European countries particularly France and Germany. Their flags are present at the conference, but not their foreign ministers. Their British counterpart will be present only to talk about the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. He could leave before the end of the conference once the subject is discussed.
Despite the divisions, according to some observers this conference has a specific goal: to create the beginnings of an international coalition that would represent the interests of the United States in the Middle East itself, after their gradual withdrawal from the region.
→ (Re) read: Warsaw hosts a controversial conference on the Middle East