Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi opposed proposals for a Mediterranean Union at a mini-summit of North African and Syrian leaders on Tuesday, saying it would harm Arab and African unity efforts.
"We are members states of the Arab League and also the African Union and we will not take any chances with damaging Arab or African Unity," Gadhafi said.
"Our European partners need to understand that. We are in favor of partnership projects but they must take account of these red lines," he added.
Gadhafi was the only leader to speak at the opening session of the mini-summit in the Libyan capital Tripoli convened to discuss proposals by French President Nicolas Sarkozy for a Mediterranean bloc modeled on and linked to the European Union.
The Tripoli meeting comes ahead of a broader gathering in Paris scheduled for July 13.
It was attended by Algerian, Mauritanian, Moroccan, Syrian and Tunisian leaders alongside Gadhafi. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak dropped plans to attend the gathering at the 11th hour because of what officials said was a heavy schedule.