Brussels, 02/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - At a conference organised by the European Movement International (EMI) in Algiers (Algeria) on 24 to 26 February, participants adopted a political statement and a common action plan. The conference was opened by an address by the President of the EMI, former European Parliament President Pat Cox. It is part of the process launched by the EMI in Malta in November 2004 to promote fair and open dialogue between the North and South of the Mediterranean. The conference on topics of common interest (education, information, immigration and investment) was organised by the Anna Lindh EuroMed Foundation for intercultural dialogue and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. In his speech, the President of the EMI's Mediterranean Committee, Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb, said the Algiers meeting was 'merely the beginning of a partnership between countries on both sides of the Mediterranean.' He announced the setting up of a 'Follow-up Committee' to expand upon the proposals made during the conference. The conference called for the setting up in Algiers of an 'Independent EuroMed Observatory' for monitoring the dialogue between the North and South of the Mediterranean. The organisational details and specific remit of this body will be drawn up by the Follow-up Committee in time for its meeting in September at the latest. Participants at the conference included the Vice-President of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, El-Sayed Yassin.