Brussels, 06/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) “cannot progress any further, at least not in the short term, unless everything that is preventing it moving forward is cleared away”, reports Moroccan weekly L'Economiste in an article covering the debate held in Casablanca on 1 February and quoting former French foreign minister Hubert Vedrine.
The reason for the doubt over the UfM is, Védrine says, “the situation in the Mediterranean region as a whole. First of all, the Israel-Palestinian conflict has not been resolved and does not look as if it is moving towards a definitive solution. Moreover, relations between Algeria and Morocco have still not been normalised and the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) is on stand-by.” To this can be added, Védrine goes on, “the contradictory strategies adopted by each state and organisation, both north and south, fuelling generally confusion”.
The weekly writes: “For the former minister, the whole Union for the Mediterranean project … appears doomed to failure. Evidence of this is its current torpor” as “numerous impediments have appeared and have hindered (its) implementation. The first precaution that should be taken is to involve the UfM as little as possible in trying to resolve the serious conflicts in which a number of its members have long been engaged.” Without being too optimistic, the former minister hopes that the new order in the Mediterranean rim, and especially in North Africa, could provide something to take the Union forward. “A Union cannot be built on conflict. That would compromise any hope of relaunch of the UfM as a general framework for cooperation.” (FB/transl.rt)