Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi received the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Fathallah Sijilmassi, at the Farnesina today.
Minister Terzi underscored that Italy will continue to support the Arab Spring transition countries at the levels of political dialogue and economic cooperation.
He confirmed Italy’s intention to enhance the role of the Union for the Mediterranean, and especially its ability to put in place concrete projects within a clearly defined strategic framework. The aim here is to help provide an effective response to the economic and social expectations of the peoples of the region.
Italy’s determination to continue its strategy of increasingly focusing the European Union’s efforts and resources on the Mediterranean was another point reiterated by Minister Terzi. The Italian foreign minister also spoke at some length on the importance of the 5+5 Dialogue. He pointed out that the summit held in Malta in October 2012, with the participation of Prime Minister Monti, marked an important turning point for the status of that regional forum.
Both Minister Terzi and Secretary General Sijilmassi were in full agreement on the need to promote the overall efficacy of, and a consistent approach to, the various forms of regional cooperation. They agreed that one good way to do this is to exploit possible synergies between the Union for the Mediterranean and the +5 Dialogue.
