Brussels  - European Union officials on Monday condemned as "despicable" the overnight double bombing in a crowded Istanbul street which left at least 17 people dead.

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the despicable bombing attack that took many innocent lives and injured dozens of people in Istanbul yesterday (Sunday) evening," Javier Solana, the EU's high representative for its common foreign policy, said in a statement.

"I express my deepest condolences and my heartfelt sympathy to the families of the victims and to the Turkish government ... In these difficult moments, Turkey can count on the support of the European Union," he said.

Paris  - The first-ever summit meeting between the European Union and South Africa opened Friday in the southern French city of Bordeaux.

South African President Thabo Mbeki will meet with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in his role as acting EU president, as well as the EU's foreign affairs chief, Javier Solana.

South Africa is the only African state to date to have signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement with the EU. Friday's summit is the first since the establishment of the Partnership, in May 2007.

The discussions at the summit will focus on South Africa's role in mediating African crisis situations, such as Zimbabwe and Burundi.

Brussels - EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn welcomed Tuesday the arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karazic, calling it "a historic moment for international justice."

Rehn said the arrest suspecte war crimminal would go a long way to helping with reconciliation on the western Balkans.

It was also a milestone in Serbia's cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), he said on the fringe of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

"It also proves that the new government of Serbia has the determination to turn the page, leave the nationalist past behind and move towards a European future."

Brussels - The European Union on Friday paid tribute

Rome - European Commission Presid