Brussels, 04/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - The Jordanian government announced at the end of last week that it had accepted the joint presidency of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), after Egypt stood down at the end of March. Jordan will assume its new role with effect from September, at the next meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials after the summer. An initial announcement was made at a recent meeting of senior officials in Barcelona to inquire about the lack of any opposition. Agreement among the 43 countries (less Syria, which has suspended its participation in the UfM) was unanimous.
The Jordanian decision is music to the ears of supporters of the revitalisation of the UfM that has been taking place since the appointment of new Secretary General Fathallah Sijilmassi and since the EU high representative for foreign affairs assumed the joint presidency, taking over from France. This appointment was in line with the Lisbon Treaty.
Since Egypt announced that it did not wish to continue as joint president, its unwillingness to continue being heightened by the political situation which reigns in the country (and because Israel is among the 43 UfM member countries and holds one of the organisation's six deputy secretary general posts), no country from the southern rim (particularly no Arab coastal state) showed willing to take over. Tunisia was asked but dragged its feet given the level of disorganisation of its foreign office and, inter alia, Israel's presence among the member countries. For a time, Brussels was considering inviting the Secretariat General of the Arab League to take over the position, even though the Arab League has only observer status within the UfM. The idea did not receive the backing that had been hoped. For several observers, it would have been tantamount to setting the fox to mind the geese and would have risked making the UfM more openly subject to the vagaries of Middle Eastern policy, the very thing that caused the failures of the Barcelona Process.
The Jordanian decision means that the UfM is now in full working order. In recent statements, the secretary general has declared his desire to focus the organisation's efforts on identifying projects and finding funding. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has confirmed its commitment to fund initial project identification efforts. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has just, with its new governor taking up his post, confirmed that it will be active in the Euro-Mediterranean area.
Ashton hails Jordanian willingness. In a statement on her behalf by her spokesperson, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said she was “very pleased that Jordan announced yesterday its readiness to assume the Southern Presidency of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)”. This “is testimony to the traditional commitment of Jordan to foster regional cooperation” in the Mediterranean region.
“More than ever, regional challenges call for regional answers. As a unique forum of 43 members from around the Mediterranean, the UfM is a key instrument for defining practical solutions to such challenges together through dialogue”, Ashton said. She highlighted that joint ownership is an essential feature of the UfM. “We need an effective co-presidency, fully representative of Mediterranean partners to set an ambitious agenda and guide the work of the UfM”, she went on.
The EU, as northern joint president, “looks forward to working with Jordan in turning the UfM into a catalyst for the development and financing of concrete projects that will provide tangible benefits to the people of the region, in coherence with European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument and synergy with the other regional stakeholders”, Ashton stated. (FB/transl.rt)