Brussels, 10/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - The president of the Italian Council, Mario Monti, made a speech at the “Fiera del levante” in Bari on Friday 7 September - a speech which was noted for its structured rapprochement between the two shores of the Mediterranean.
The speech was addressed to businesses from southern regions of Italy, as part of the efforts for economic and financial recovery in Monti's country. He said that future economic and political developments should naturally “include the southern shore” of the Mediterranean. “The whole Mediterranean region must be at the centre of the projections outside our country”, he said.
The speech was similar to the one made by François Hollande to the French ambassadors, in which he had made an appeal for the concrete strengthening of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and its secretariat general based in Barcelona.
Monti said that for his part, Italy was firmly committed to a relaunch of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation through the promotion of dialogue. In his opinion, these increased exchanges firstly come through the 5+5 Dialogue between the five countries of the northern shore (Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and Malta) and the five countries of the southern shore (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania). Furthermore, a summit of the 5+5 Dialogue countries will be convened in Malta on 5 October. In Monti's opinion, this forum is “more flexible”, able to favour more cohesion and stimulate the spirit of support. Well suited to effective and structured collaboration, and being able to “serve as an example”, it could become “the motor of integration for the whole region”, the Italian prime minister said.
Monti does not ignore the UfM either. “It is just as important (to affirm) Italy's commitment to the relaunch of the Union for the Mediterranean, with particular attention to its component 'planning', the development of which will have immediate effects, especially thanks to an appropriate support, particularly for SMEs.” And he went on to say: “We are now engaged in an in-depth examination of relations with the countries from the south of the region, to fully satisfy the hopes of freedom, democracy and prosperity of the people, and for growth of the whole region.” (FB/transl.fl)