DAMASCUS - A Syrian foreign ministry official said on Tuesday that the European Union had invited President Bashar al-Assad to a Euro-Mediterranean summit, but Assad has delegated his foreign minister to represent him.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday that the bloc had invited Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara instead of Assad. Britain is the president of the current EU session.

The move was seen as a snub to the Syrian leader by not inviting him to the summit due to Syria's alleged involvement in the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.

The Syrian official, who requested anonymity, said Assad sent early on Monday a letter to British Prime Minister Tony Blair in response to an invitation extended to him on Sept. 26 for the Nov. 27-28 summit.

"The president in his letter expressed regret that he will not be able to answer the invitation that he had received due to the current situation in the region and delegated Foreign Minister Mr. Farouq al-Shara to attend on his behalf," he said.

Britain issued the invitations as holder of the bloc's rotating presidency.

Straw told a news conference that Shara had been invited "in the normal way" to represent Syria in Barcelona. Asked why an invitation had not been extended to the president, he said: "I've given you the answer I've given."

In a statement, the 25 EU foreign ministers expressed their "extreme concern" at chief U.N. investigator Detlev Mehlis' report of converging evidence pointing to the involvement of Lebanese and Syrian officials in Hariri's assassination.

Syria has denied any involvement in the killing which prompted huge street protests that eventually forced the withdrawal of Syrian troops stationed in Lebanon since 1976. (Reuters)