MedaWeek Barcelona 2017: ASCAME and UfM join forces to advance economic development in the Mediterranean

27 June 2017, Barcelona.- The Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME) and the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) have signed a partnership agreement to consolidate the UfM’s position as strategic institutional partner of the Mediterranean Week of Economic Leaders of Barcelona (MedaWeek). The Vice-President of ASCAME, Miquel Valls, and the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Fathallah Sijilmassi, signed the agreement today in the presence of Spain’s Ambassador at large for Mediterranean Affairs and Spain’s Senior Official for the UfM, Milagros Hernando, as well as several members from the MedaWeek Barcelona Advisory Council.

ASCAME and the UfM, both headquartered in Barcelona, have undertaken important initiatives and projects in the last few years to contribute to the region’s economic development and integration, the promotion of public-private initiatives by the private sector to facilitate the flow of investments, and the increase of the Euro-Mediterranean region’s appeal in attracting investment in general. In short, they have a solid history of strategic cooperation to make progress towards integration, stability and regional socioeconomic development.

Proof of this close partnership is the Mediterranean Week of Economic Leaders of Barcelona (MedaWeek), which ten years following its launch as the annual platform for the Mediterranean economy, will address challenges such as the restructuring of traditional industries and the diversification of economic activity, the attraction of major foreign investment and the intensification of cooperation between all the region’s countries. 2,000 businesspeople from the region are expected  to participate in this annual event being hosted in Barcelona next November.

Both organisations acknowledge the importance of developing synergies and a close collaboration between the institutions that are working to advance the Mediterranean’s economic integration.

“We will continue working together to promote full socioeconomic cooperation between both shores of the Mediterranean, despite the difficulties encountered along the way. Together we can achieve more,” said the Vice-President of ASCAME, Miquel Valls.

“We’ve signed this agreement with the aim of reinforcing the regional dimension and the collaborative approach of our common cooperation efforts to foster socioeconomic development and job creation, in particular for young people as they are the main asset for the futue and stability of our region”, noted the UfM Secretary General, Fathallah Sijilmassi.

Each year MedaWeek Barcelona promotes a strong Mediterranean spirit over several days that feature a wide range of sectoral and thematic forums. Their innovative ideas and proposals seek to strengthen the Euro-Mediterranean integration, a key prerequisite for encouraging inclusive growth in the region. Some of these proposals include support programmes for entrepreneurs, women and young people, and a commitment towards emerging sectors and the new economy.

The Mediterranean Week of Economic Leaders (MedaWeek) in Barcelona is supported by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce.