Brussels, 01/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - “It is now time to relaunch and radically reform the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and France will bring forward its proposals for its partners in the coming weeks”, French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced on Wednesday 31 August at the annual conference of French ambassadors. “The stalemate in the peace process must not prevent the UfM from being the driver of real renaissance in the Mediterranean!” he added.
He said that, “in the southern Mediterranean, where religion remains a central reference, the challenge for the Arab springs is to show by example that affirmation of these values is in no way opposed to Islam. Anchoring democracy means, of course, holding free elections but it also involves accepting change-over of power; it means respecting the rights and choices of individuals and minorities”.
He highlighted the role played by young people in the Arab spring. “This democratic upheaval has sometimes been compared to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Communist bloc. That is true in terms of historic importance. But three differences make the way events have played out much more complex”. The first is demographic, characterised by the high proportion of young people, who make up one third of the population, the second is the lack, hitherto, of ideologies, and the third, in summary, is the lack of long-term perspectives, unlike the situation where the countries of Central and Eastern Europe could look to become part of the European integration process. This indicates, the French president said, “the importance of partnerships to be developed, in full respect for the independence and sovereignty of these states. At the Deauville summit, the G8 made great, long-term commitments, pledging $40 billion to Tunisia and Egypt between 2011 and 2013, and the opening up of the EBRD with its unique expertise”. Morocco, Jordan and, very probably soon, Libya will join the process that has been started. However, Sarkozy said, “beyond all this, who can fail to see the importance of the Union for the Mediterranean in responding to the expectations of the people” of the southern rim? (F.B./transl.rt)