Marseilles, 17/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - The 4th Euro-Mediterranean conference closed its works Thursday evening after two days of hard debates centred on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, during which the Arab countries, tried to convince the Europeans to leave their neutrality and no longer content themselves with "moral statements" while the situation continually degenerates on the ground. Over the economic aspects, the session enabled to discuss the progress in its three sections. The participants have for the most part confirmed the priorities and centred the work adopted during their third session in Stuttgart (April 1999), by promising to meeting again in an interim informal session - think tank meeting - during the first quarter 2001 under the Belgian Presidency and to hold a fifth formal session during the first quarter 2002 under the Spanish Presidency.
The "general conclusions of the Presidency" (that act as a final Communiqué) demonstrate the wide consensus over the various chapters, drawing a critical assessment of the past and by also demonstrating the numerous common positions over the new guidelines for the future (but Mediterranean third countries let is be known that some of these guidelines were not truly concrete for all the participants).
Despite the difficult circumstances, announced to the plenary the Council President, "we must continue, as if we decide to wait for the resolution of the problem of peace in the Middle East we will break the Barcelona process". The work was started by this meeting in Marseilles and some already enjoy talking of a "Marseilles process", that of the new compared to that, founding, of Barcelona. Mr Védrine recognised that the debate, not only that on the political aspects, was "sometimes arduous". Over the Peace and Stability Charter, he gave the impression of feeling that the project was premature, noting that there is particularly a true demand for dialogue and the exchange of ideas on all the themes that it infers (stability, security, fight against terrorism, etc.). On the economic and cooperation aspects, Mr Védrine confirmed the priority to reciprocal liberalisation programmes and the growth of "south-south" integration which is a challenge for all. On the other hand, the 3rd aspect - the human dimension - still seem to him to be "to heterogeneous" and he called to "make an inventory" before deciding upon new cooperation.
Mr Védrine insisted over the importance of the free trade area project as it has as aim to "better insert the region into the world economy". The undertaking is to catch-up the delays and also encourage the partner countries to join among themselves to one day achieve the complete free trade in all the area. Four countries act as pioneers: Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and Jordan (by confirming the idea of a dialogue between the signatories of the "horizontal" agreement for free trade) to harmonise their liberalisation programmes and act notably during the decision on this issue within the Barcelona process. With regard to this, Tunisia, first signatory of an EU association agreement, called for a better taking into account of regional cooperation while drawing a "mitigated assessment" of the Barcelona process and by considering its aims "scattered". Tunisia called for financial assistance to be "concentrated" on the economic, social and cultural priorities especially on the financing of regional programmes" in order to lay the foundations for the development of South-South cooperation".
We will publish the full version of the Conclusion of the Presidency in our EUROPE/Documents series. The Marseilles Conference while "drawing a mitigated assessment" "testified to the will to give new impetus to the partnership" and, for its part, the EU "confirmed its desire to strengthen the Mediterranean dimension of its external relations". In the part dealing with the political aspects the EU asserted its "attachment to seeing established, in a short time a sovereign Palestinian State, preferably, through, democratic, viable and peaceful negotiation". Over the Political and Security Charter, the opening of an in-depth dialogue is recommended "without awaiting the adoption" of the text itself. Over financial cooperation the conclusions asserts that the Ministers "took note with satisfaction of the indicative amount of the MEDA 2 budget", passed on by the EU. Though several delegations asserted their disappointment with regards to it.