Brussels, 12/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - The Moroccan delegate minister for foreign affairs, Youssef Amrani, has highlighted new developments in EU financial support for the Mediterranean. He declared that, “almost two thirds of European aid previously went to the Mediterranean and a third to Eastern Europe. The current distribution is around 50-50”. In an interview with a French-language weekly journal on African affairs, the former secretary general for the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) subsequently pointed out that “the EU has begun to revise its neighbourhood policy”. He is, however, calling for an effort to be made by the people of the Maghreb themselves, so that the area remains attractive. In his opinion, there are two possible ways forward: integration of the three eastern Mediterranean countries (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia) and the UfM.
Preparations for Maghreb summit. Amrani asserted that differences with its Algerian neighbour were currently being sorted out. He pointed to three priority areas in which to build: free movement of capital and people; development of free trade area; and the creation of legal and financial instruments to accompany investment. He added that, “we will be speeding up the relaunch of the UMA (Union of the Arab Maghreb), in an effort to propose to our European partners an attractive zone where they will be able to tackle each negotiating block. It is also in their interest to help us develop, so that we can manage migratory pressure and take advantage of our growth”.
On the issue of the UfM, Amrani, played down its slow progress since its launch in November 2008 up until last March when it fully resumed its activities and projects. He considers that, “political blockages delayed its implementation but today it is completely in the Europeans' interest to relaunch the process. Southern countries in the Mediterranean account for a potential market of 130 million inhabitants and have economies that are displaying sustained growth”. He concluded that, “the UfM must, nevertheless, focus on areas for developing integration, such as the Maghreb motorway and university exchanges and leave political issues to more appropriate structures to deal with”. (FB/trans/fl)