Amman - Jordanian Prime Minister Nader Dahabi on Saturday headed to Paris to lead his country's delegation to the Euromed Union summit due to open there Sunday, an official statement said.

Dahabi will deputise for King Abdullah II, who is currently on a private visit to the United States.

The Jordanian premier will deliver a speech at the meeting that "underlines the importance of boosting ties between the European Union countries and Middle East and North African states with a view to working together to achieve peace and prosperity for their peoples," the statement said.

More than 40 heads of state have been invited to the summit, which has been proposed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy with the aim of bolstering political and trade ties as well as security cooperation between EU countries and their neighbours on the southern coast of the Mediterranean. (dpa)