Albares reinforces Barcelona's role as capital of dialogue in the Mediterranean with 43 countries

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, during his speech before the plenary session of the Union for the Mediterranean Forum (UfM)

Albares used his address to the representatives of the 43 member countries in the plenary to stress that the reform will enhance the UfM's role as a forum for structured regional dialogue and will allow the Barcelona-based organisation to play a key role in the coordination and implementation of some of the flagship projects of the new Pact for the Mediterranean.

The minister detailed Spain's commitment to this reform, which will take the form of support for the UfM, increasing the contribution to the budget to 400,000 euros and providing an additional one million euros for cooperation actions carried out by the UfM with the support of the AECID. In addition, Spain has signed a new Head office Agreement, which will help the UfM to improve the performance of its functions from Barcelona.

Amongst these functions, Albares identified bringing peace and justice to the Middle East, together with European and Mediterranean partners, as a priority. In this respect, he recalled that the UfM is the only body in which Israel and Palestine participate on an equal footing, and that it is therefore an instrument to contribute to making the Mediterranean a region of peace, security and shared prosperity.

Prior to this meeting, the minister had already had the opportunity yesterday to welcome the participants at a previous meeting at the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC), where he expressed the importance of this event, which allows for an exchange of opinions on the reality of the region, listening and coordinating proposals, and reinforcing the common commitment to peace and stability. This Friday, the forum was preceded by the presentation of the European Union's New Pact for the Mediterranean.

Barcelona Process

This new edition of the Forum comes in a year that marks the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process and a crucial exercise for the launch of the Mediterranean agenda. In this respect, he recalled the intense Mediterranean activity resulting from the relaunch of the Mediterranean partnership, with the reform of the UfM and the implementation of the Mediterranean Pact, and then reiterated that the new reforms adopted will strengthen the Euro-Mediterranean voice and increase the impact of the actions of the member countries in favour of dialogue and Euro-Arab consultation.

The two intense days culminate in a concert for Mediterranean Day on the evening of Friday 28th at the Palau de la Música in Barcelona. In this context, Minister Albares is committed to using Mediterranean music as an inspiration to redouble our efforts to make the Mediterranean a true area of peace, rights and prosperity.

Non official translation