A Marshall Plan for the Mediterranean promoted by the European Union and the BRICS countries, an association between Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa, is the main proposal that emerged from a round table organised yesterday in Rome by Eurispes and the Prospettive Mediterranee (“Mediterranean Perspectives”) Association in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and sponsored by RIDE-Italian Network for Euro-Mediterranean Dialogue. For Italy – a press release states – there is an opportunity to perform an active role in building a “bridge” for cooperation between the EU and BRICS and to create the conditions for a comprehensive development plan laying solid foundations for peaceful coexistence that respects identities and builds on the whole area’s shared heritage.
The BRICS countries – as emphasised in the press release – now have a stable and widespread presence in the Mediterranean and can make a big contribution to its economic growth and social integration, helping the countries in the area to deal with structural phenomena like immigration.
The meeting, entitled “BRICS between Mediterranean and Africa: identity, development and immigration”, was opened by Minister Plenipotentiary Ambassador Enrico Granara, coordinator for Multilateral Affairs in the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf Area, by Enrico Molinaro, the director of the Italian Network for Euro-Mediterranean Dialogue (RIDE) of the Anna Lindh Foundation, and by Marco Ricceri, coordinator of the Eurispes BRICS laboratory. Representatives of the embassies of BRICS countries also attended along with Italian experts and diplomats.
