Brussels, 08/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - In the final declaration of the “summit” of Malta (see other article), the Heads of State or Government of the countries of the Mediterranean strongly emphasised their duty to act together to counter the terrorist threats from the neighbouring region of the African Sahel, amongst other places.
These “destabilising threats” call for “a strong sense of ownership, on the part of the countries in question, of their security and stability, and for closer collaboration between all relevant actors to fight transnational terrorism, organised crime and illegal trafficking”. The way to do this lies in “training activities, transfer of technology, improving protection and response mechanisms, in the event of natural disasters”. They expressed their “concern at the dissemination of weapons and unsecured material, which is a threat to regional stability” and stress their “determination to continue communication and sharing information between the states” against transnational trafficking in weapons “effectively”. Because, they stress, “collective stability and security in the Euro-Mediterranean region are indivisible”. They laid emphasis on “the importance of continuing efforts undertaken to reinforce the civil protection system to help guarantee the physical integrity of the citizens (as) stressed by the conference of home affairs ministers of the member states of the Western Mediterranean in 2009” and thanks to the “remarkable results achieved by the 5+5 defence initiative”, currently chaired by Morocco. They also expressed their “satisfaction at the continued cooperation in maritime surveillance matters, and at the contribution of the armed forces to civil protection matters, air security, training and research”. They call for a reinforcement and development of the 5+5 defence initiative and to increase prevention and reaction capabilities. A “joint procedures manual” related to a “network of contact points in the management of major disaster situations involving one of the member states of the 5+5 defence initiative” was signed on 10 March 2011, they stressed, arguing in favour of the signature of a “consensual agreement for mutual assistance, mainly via cooperation with the other fora of the 5+5”. (FB/transl.fl)