“The Euro-Mediterranean region offers specific and competitive advantages. Due to this complementarity and the existing synergies in the region, it plays a major role in the global economic landscape.”

“We, the Mediterranean people, need to join forces to replace the Sea in this main platform so that it can act as a strong competitor in the world.”

The Mediterranean region, a crossroad between Asia, Europe and Africa, is a unique strategic platform to facilitate global trade and logistics. Nevertheless, the region needs more integration, development and the interconnection with the Southern countries to prosper.

The Euro-Mediterranean region offers specific and competitive advantages. Due to this complementarity and the existing synergies in the region, it plays a major role in the global economic landscape.

The process of change in the southern countries and the economic crisis in the Eurozone indicate that the task will be difficult but not impossible. We, the Mediterranean people, need to join forces to replace the Sea in this main platform so that it can act as a strong competitor in the world.

Despite the world economic crisis, the next decade will testify important investments. Nevertheless, the public sector alone cannot carry the burden of the needed investments, that hover around 4% of the GDP, which means that contributions from the private sector as well as the financial implication of the international institutions will be necessary.

In this regard, it is important to underline that, contrary to the past, the Mediterranean must now benefit from its own internal efforts as well as from international cooperation. That’s why the Mediterranean countries are invited to support the Union for the Mediterranean, which plays a key role. The creation of a Mediterranean economic space, with around 800 million people is not a dream but a real necessity for all the countries which belong to this Euro-Mediterranean space. It represents a historic opportunity that we can not let escape. In order to achieve this, the reforms, especially in education, health and governance must be intensified and we must create an appropriate environment for private sector development as well as for regional integration. The role of enterprises in the construction of this main Mediterranean monument is essential to reach the desired outcomes.

We call the European Union and the whole international community to materialize their engagements towards the public aid for the development of the Mediterranean, which acts in favour of the reduction of debts and allows to end up on positive conclusion of the Doha cycle on international trade. We also call the international private sector to invest more in the Mediterranean, with its abundant human and natural resources. The private sector offers 90% of the developing countries’ jobs and plays an essential role in the creation of new workplaces which foster growth.

We need to be united to reach the objectives of a better and more integrated the Mediterranean because when the mentioned entities are not connected to a strong aim and specific values, people tend to follow their own goals without going in the same direction.

04/23/2015