The future of the Mediterranean after the pandemic
Sixth edition of the MED-Dialogues Conference promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and by ISPI
Rome, 23 November 2020 – The sixth edition of the Rome MED – Mediterranean Dialogues Conference, promoted since 2015 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and by ISPI, the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, will be held in digital format this year, and will include more than 40 virtual events, from 25 November to 4 December 2020.
The Conference will open on Wednesday 25 November when Luigi Di Maio, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Giampiero Massolo, President of ISPI, will open proceedings on the web platform. The MED-Dialogues will be closed on Friday 4 December, by the Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte.
Journalists who wish to follow the works are to register by completing the form to be found via the link below: https://join.med.ispionline.it/media-accreditation.
Those taking part in the Conference will include exponents from major international organisations, academics, and entrepreneurs, as well as students and experts from around the world, and will include more than 40 political leaders in the form of Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Ministers from various international bodies. Those taking part will include: Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov, Russian Foreign Affairs Minister; Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs; Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs; Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister; Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi Arabian Foreign Affairs Minister; Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Indian Foreign Affairs Minister; Ahmed Maitig, Libya’s Vice-President of the Presidential Council, GNA; Ayman Safadi, Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriots; Riyad al Malki, Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriots; Othman Jerandi, Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migrations, and Tunisians Abroad; Anwar Gargash, United Arab Emirates State Minister of Foreign Affairs; Nickolay Mladenov, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process; Ján Kubiš, UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon; and Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, OPEC Secretary General.
Albeit in a time of pandemic, MED Dialogues 2020 intends to draw up a “positive agenda” for the Mediterranean, putting together possible shared solutions to health, economic, and political risks that could prove to be more serious and destructive than in the rest of the world. The strategic questions on which the debate will centre include the main security challenges, the difficulty in dealing with the migratory phenomenon during the pandemic, the destiny of the younger generations, the revolution in the energy market, the opportunities offered by the transition to a green, sustainable economy, the strategic role of women in the Mediterranean area, and their contribution to social and economic growth. One undoubted strategic matter for the Mediterranean area is also a reflection of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, on NATO’s role, as well as strategies in relation to Countries such as the United States, the Gulf Nations, Russia, China, India, and Japan.
In recent months 28 meetings were organised, in digital mode, with very high level international figures, to discuss the situation in key countries in the area, such as Syria, Libya, Israel, Palestine, Yemen, and Iran, in order to add to the contributions of ideas and proposals. The debate will also centre on other strategic questions such as Europe’s role, green energy, and migrations, among others.
MED PRESS OFFICE:
Francesca Robbiati, Media Communication +39.366.2647188
Stefania Salustri, Senior Advisor Communication, +39.335.7919949
For information and the programme, go to the MED website, which will also provide live coverage of all the events.