UfM is committed to support a “Peace-Centric Vision” in the Middle East
Barcelona, 25 November 2024 – Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Secretary General Nasser Kamel took part in the “Diálogos para la Seguridad” event organised by El País in Madrid.
The event featured discussions and talks by a number of distinguished speakers on the complex geopolitical and security challenges facing Europe and the Mediterranean region; from the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Palestine conflict, to irregular migration, radicalization and disinformation.
In a dedicated session on the situation in the Mediterranean entitled “Una mirada sobre el Mediterráneo”, the UfM Secretary General shared his assessment of the impact of the ongoing geopolitical crises in the Middle East on the stability and prosperity in the Mediterranean region and beyond.
“Over the past twenty years, the Mediterranean has suffered a great deal of instability exacerbated by a number of events. Against this backdrop, the prolonged Israeli Palestinian conflict is, naturally, the epicenter of tensions for the whole region and beyond.” said Mr. Kamel.
Adding to that, the UfM Secretary General stated that the devastation, loss of life, and growing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and the acute polarization prompted throughout the world.
He underlined the implications that the conflict has not only for the security and the human and political landscape in the Mediterranean, but also for the normative framework that guides the international community.
Mr. Kamel emphasized that the sole viable vision for the region is what he called “the Peace-Centric Vision,” which seeks to build some level of reconciliation and coexistence between both parties, through a well-rooted peace built only and exclusively on the two states-solution.
He confirmed the readiness of the UfM to support this vision, especially with its leverage being the only organization where Israel and Palestine enjoy full membership in equal standing.
“The UfM member states must not give up working towards a constructive dialogue between Europe and its southern Mediterranean neighbors. The failure to do so, and a prolonged conflict in the region will have enormous geopolitical and security repercussions.”
The UfM Secretary General concluded on a positive note, stating: “Despite the pessimistic perception of the Mediterranean as an area fraught with tension, our region is a place of remarkable connections and resilience. It links continents and cultures, offering a wealth of opportunities for prosperity that transcends borders.”
On the margins of the meeting, the Secretary General met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain, HE M. Jose Manuel Albares. They took the opportunity to discuss the next steps of the UfM reform, in view of next year’s 30th Anniversary of the Barcelona Process/10th UfM Regional Forum, as well as its alignment with the future EU Pact for the Mediterranean.
