Workshop on the Union for the Mediterranean summit: hope or disappointment?

22th of July 2008

The Amadeus Institute organized on 22th of July 2008 a one-day international seminar on the Union for Mediterranean (UfM) that was held nine days only after the founding summit of this institution. Major stakeholders and thinkers of the euro-Mediterranean cooperation took part to this debate. Current and former ministers from both side of the Mediterranean gathered with the purpose of analyzing the “Paris declaration” and emphasizing decisive steps written in the marble of this document but also marking lacks and imperfections in this new partnership.

Concrete recommendations were issued at the seminar and presented to the French and Egyptian foreign Affairs ministers, since these two countries have been co-chairing the UfM. Therefore, those two public personalities will co-host next foreign affairs ministries summit in December in Marseille.

The seminar was split into four different themes: sustainability of the UfM projects, growth and economic development, the new European approach toward the Mediterranean region as well as environment and energy problems.

MAIN CONCLUSIONS

• Participants recognized the Paris summit as a major success since the gathering of 43 States around the same table is an impressive diplomatic accomplishment. The main reason for this may certainly be the new framework proposed by The European Union for the Mediterranean that is to say parity and balanced partnership.
• The role of some southern Mediterranean leaders such as His Majesty King Mohammed VI was referred to as a determinant factor and participants were very keen to emphasize the particular role in which the Kingdom of Morocco has the opportunity to play in this new euro Mediterranean framework.

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