Brussels, 10/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Group of Transport Ministers of the Western Mediterranean (GTMO 5+5) has just published the conclusions of its last meeting, held in Lisbon on 22 October, and has called for stronger regional cooperation in logistics. The EU is involved both through European Investment Bank (EIB) operations and through the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), of which it holds the joint chairmanship. A project, Logismed, is currently being prepared.
The ministers also gave their support to the construction of a “multimodal network” in the region and to the completion of its “missing links”. They also discussed the proposal for an inter-Maghreb land motorway, particularly the Libyan and Mauritanian sections, and initiatives on rail and air transport. A Mediterranean transport forum already exists and has been charged with continuing to work on establishing a regional plan.
In their conclusions, the participants called on Portugal, the Presidency in office, to raise awareness among all the organisations concerned (EU, AMU, EIB and the Arab League) of the benefits of the proposals set out in a work programme until 2016. They also instructed experts to assess the means that will be needed to ensure the financial viability of the activities of this programme and possibilities of technical cooperation. (FB)