Barcelona, 22/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - The North Africa business and development forum began on 21 November and lasts for a week. This year it will focus on the repercussions of the upheaval on the southern banks of the Mediterranean, particularly in Maghreb countries. Catalonia also intends to promote the position of Barcelona as a “capital” in the Euro-Mediterranean area. This objective was stated by Miguel Valls, the president of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and Senen Florensa, the president of IEMed ( Euro-Mediterranean Studies Institute). The guest of honour at this forum (held for the eighth time) is Tunisia, the first country to have experienced the beginning of these “revolutions” which finalised the first phase of its political transition at the end of October. Andreu Bassols, the director-general of IEMed, argued that this country, despite its “fragile situation” is creating a great deal of room for the private sector and has a great deal of potential in skilled staff. He also said that this is one of the most economically integrated countries in the region with Europe.
In Tunisia, as in the whole of the Mediterranean, the major challenge this year will be, according to Florensa, to kickstart the economies that have felt the full impact of the contradiction between economic activity and investment, in addition to the global economic crisis that has affected their main trading partner, Europe.
In this context, the challenge of job creation is vital. Event organisers pointed out that “jobs for the youth in the Maghreb region is undoubtedly the first priority on the political and economic agenda”.
During this session, the question of the potential for cooperation in infrastructure sectors (energy, telecoms and water) will also be raised. The asserted objective is to identify “the main needs for setting up a legal and economic structure for carrying out implementation” of common action in the Euro-Mediterranean area. Transport development is considered as a major challenge, together with developing trade. It is also interesting to note that governments in the region are enhancing their infrastructure in the transport field by modernising existing lines, building new roads and investing in tram and high-speed train networks. “Throughout all Maghreb countries, implementation of local networks has become an essential element in modernisation, due to economic, social and environmental reasons. The appearance of new roads, the proliferation of operators and the modernisation of international airports in the area has multiplied the means for transporting people and goods in this way”.
Another proposed field for cooperation involves construction. This constitutes a stimulus to the economies in these countries which have “invested a lot in tourism and in different public infrastructure projects for long-term growth”. Tourism employs around 2 million people and in terms of economic production represented 8% of gross domestic product (GDP) last year in these countries, according to data for the debate on the future of this sector, which is one of the sectors most affected by the current instability. (FB/transl.fl)