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Speaking at the Thirteenth ten-nation strong Mediterranean Forum Foreign Minister Michael Frendo called for a revitalisation of Euro-Med Partnership. He said this is greatly needed in the context of the challenges of the international situation.
The ForoMed is an informal gathering of foreign ministers of Mediterranean countries - Malta, Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Turkey.
These countries act as a core group to give added impetus to the agenda of the Barcelona Process. This year this was held in Alicante, Spain on 27 and 28 October. Libya also attended on a guest status. The ten countries meet prior to, and in preparation of, the EuroMed Foreign Ministers Meeting which this year will be held on 27 and 28 November in Tampere, Finland.
In presenting a Maltese paper on the reform of the working methods of the Barcelona process which commemorated its tenth anniversary last November, Minister Frendo said that “the Barcelona Process is also as strong as its structures and mechanisms to take forward and activate the commitments made politically”. In its paper Malta made reference to the ideas paper of the EU paper on reform of the working methods of Barcelona which includes such ideas as the introduction of a co-presidency, alternating venues of meetings, the possible setting up of a Euro-Med Secretariat, and the best use of the potential of the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures based in Alexandria, Egypt, the first common institution jointly established and financed by all 35 members of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.
Dr Frendo emphasised the work being done by the Study Group on the Working Methods of the Barcelona Process which is being chaired by Malta’s Ambassador Alfred Zarb. He said that the Study Group needs to continue to meet during 2007 to made suggestions for more effective and efficient working methods which give more co-ownership and greater visibility for the process. A regular channel through meetings of Brussels-based diplomats in between meetings of senior officials was also suggested in order to prepare the ground for more focused meetings by the Officials and by the Ministers.
Minister Frendo also called for the strengthening of the Anna Lindh Foundation which required greater visibility and greater effectiveness to carry forward the ambitions of all partners for the Barcelona Process and particularly its cultural and dialogue aspects which are so fundamental to the success of the Euro-Med Partnership.
He said that these reforms need to be adopted incrementally giving impetus to the process and further strengthening the ability to put it into practice.
It was agreed that Malta would present the non-paper on the reform of the working methods, as enhanced following the debate at the ForoMed, would be presented to the Meeting of EuroMed Foreign Ministers in Tampere in November.
The meeting adopted the Alicante Declaration on the Middle East and on the continuation and deepening of the Euro-Arab Dialogue.
The Declaration, agreed to by all the ten members of ForoMed, emphasising the need for a relaunch of the Euro-Arab dialogue and joint initiatives, called for the implementation of confidence building measures in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict such as the release of soldiers and prisoners and the transfer of tax revenues.
The Mediterranean Forum states called for short term steps and expressed their support for President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, terming the Authority as “the cornerstone of the future Palestinian State” and the President’s efforts at the constitution of a Palestinian government with which the international community can fully cooperate.
They said that, in the longer term, an international conference should be called to express political commitment to the renewed multilateral peace process.
The Declaration concludes by stating that “the launching of a new, credible process for reaching balanced solutions for this protracted conflict, which continues to fuel frustration among the peoples of the region and to interfere with the region’s quest for modernization and development, will require all the parties, as well as the key players in the international community, to demonstrate courage, generosity and a strong political commitment.”
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