MARSEILLES, France, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers of the European Union members are to gather here on Monday, on the eve of the U.S. presidential elections, for an informal meeting to finalize their plans for establishing a balanced and closer cooperation with the United States.

    At the Informal Meeting of Foreign Ministers (Gymnich) in the southern France city of Avignon two months ago, the ministers had discussed how the EU could enhance political dialogue with the United States to carry more weight in the resolution of regional crises and to intensify transatlantic cooperation for dealing with major global challenges.

    The meeting is to be chaired by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner as his country is holding the current EU presidency.

    Javier Solana, Secretary-General of the EU Council and High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, together with Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European Commissioner for External Relations, will attend the one-day meeting.

    After the meeting, the EU foreign ministers will hold a two-day conference with their counterparts from the member countries of the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean to work towards implementing the ambition for a strengthened partnership around the Mediterranean renewed by the heads of state or government at the Paris summit on July 13.

    The three main items on the agenda are: reviewing the new concrete partnership projects and their implementation; clarifying the new governance introduced by the Union for the Mediterranean; and political dialogue on the regional situation.

    They are expected to adopt the 2009 work program for the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean at the meeting, according to the EU French presidency.

    The conference will also enable greater progress in implementing new governance, the main principles of which were established at the Paris summit, in terms of more shared, balanced and sustainable management of cooperation in the Mediterranean.

    A working session will be dedicated to an assessment of the political situation and the latest developments in the region.