The first deputy secretary-general of the Mediterranean Union (MU) will be Maltese, after Malta failed to secure the seat of power for the union, French president Nicolas Sarkozy’s brainchild for EU-Arab dialogue.
At the end of a meeting between ministers from the 43 countries that participate in the Barcelona process, which will be superseded by the MU, a unanimous declaration was passed establishing the Catalan capital as the headquarters for the MU.
The city will serve as a continuation of the Euro-med forum that started off with the Barcelona process.
Agreement was also reached for Malta to be among the first group of deputy secretary-generals, togethr with Italy, Greece, Israel and Palestina.
At the meeting, Malta was chosen to host the liaison office for dialogue between the EU and the Arab League.
The proposal was an idea pushed by the European Union’s external affairs commissioner Benita Ferrero Waldner and Arab League secretary-general Amre Mousssa in a letter they sent to deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister Tonio Borg, who represented Malta yesterday in Barcelona.
The Malta office will host a European Commission expert and another from the Arab League, together with other Maltese officials who will promote Euro-Arab dialogue.
The MU will be focusing on Mediterranean issues, amongst them projects on maritime traffic, marine pollution, civil protection, a solar energy plan for the Mediterranea, higher education, and support for SMEs.
Tonoi Borg said the MU was an important step for Malta’s success in the European Union. “Despite out small size, Malta’s voice inside the MU, composed of 43 states, is useful. The establishment of the liaison office in Malta will strengthene Euro-Arab relations.”
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