Today, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, took part in the third EU-Southern Neighbourhood ministerial meeting in Barcelona.
The meeting, chaired by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, reflected the EU’s commitment to promoting a strategic review of relations with the countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean, with the aim of defining the future lines of action of the “Southern Partnership”.
This is a path to which Italy has largely contributed, through proposals and concepts – such as the Mediterranean common goods – included in the “New Agenda for the Mediterranean”, the document that provides for a plan of economic investments to stimulate socio-economic recovery in the southern neighbourhood.
The “green transition” and the resulting opportunities for development and investment were the main topic of discussion. On these aspects, Minister Di Maio shared the strong need for cooperation with the Southern Neighbourhood to benefit from adequate EU funding, and called for a strengthening of the partnership, both through the organisation of regular sectoral meetings at technical and ministerial level, and through greater regional cooperation.
A session will also be devoted to the Southern Neighbourhood countries in the framework of the MED Dialogues, the high-level international conference organised by the Foreign Ministry together with ISPI, scheduled to take place in Rome from 2 to 4 December
