ALGIERS, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers of Mediterranean countries have expressed support for the establishment of a Mediterranean Union aimed at boosting regional cooperation.

    The ministers believe the union would help realize peace and prosperity in the region, said a press release issued at the end of a two-day 11-nation Mediterranean Forum here Friday.

    During his presidential campaign last year, French President Nicolas Sarkozy proposed the formation of the union to promote ties with the EU's southern neighbors and improve cooperation on political, economic and social affairs.

    The project, modified and endorsed by a EU summit in March, is slated to be unveiled in Paris on July 13. The union is expected to group 39 members including the 27 EU nations and a dozen others along the southern Mediterranean coast.

    The Mediterranean Union must benefit members by carrying out detailed cooperation plans, and reduce the gap between countries south and north of the sea, the press release said.

    It also emphasized the importance of equality among member states, as well as the need to expand fields of cooperation and specify how the members should financially contribute to cooperative programs.

    It is necessary to clarify some issues including the union's institutions, financing and decision making, Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci said at a press conference after the forum ended.

    Members of the Mediterranean Forum include Algeria, France, Spain, Egypt, Malta, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Tunisia and Turkey.