European nations show little interest in the Middle East conference in Warsaw

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WARSAW, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The European nations showed little interest in the Middle East peace and security plans that the United States has touted at the international conference which ended here on Thursday.

The conference, which started on Wednesday, was co-organized by Poland and the U.S. The main topics included the political situation and the role of Iran in regional development, the situation in Yemen and Syria, the security and stability in the Middle East.

It came as the EU holds different opinions on the Iran issue. Last year, the U.S. withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sanctions. Other countries of the deal, including major European powers such as Germany, France and Britain, have since tried to keep the deal alive.

"This conference is a gamble (for Poland)," Robert Czulda, an assistant professor of Middle East studies at the University of Lodz, was quoted by U.S. media as saying. Although the simple ambition of the Polish government is to have U.S. military protection, convening a meeting which would highlight the discrepancies between the U.S. and its allies in Europe over Iran was obviously "not a smart idea", said the assistant professor.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini didn't attend the conference, and neither did foreign ministers of France and Germany, which sent lower ranking staff instead. Russia said no to it while British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt who came to chair a meeting for peace in Yemen left early.

The conference on the Middle East was attended by the representatives of more than 60 countries. The U.S. invited Israel and Arab states, but not Iran.

Noticing little interest shown by its allies, the U.S. had broaden the schedule of the conference hastily prior to its commencement, denying the conference was aimed to bash Iran.

Addressing a joint press conference in Warsaw with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz also said "Poland is a part of the EU and hence we are of the opinion and we accept the policy of JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action)...."

From the perspective of the Guardian's diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour, the Warsaw conference reflected the "growing anger over unilateral U.S. policymaking on Iran and Syria". Enditem

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