European Parliamentarians work with UfM Secretariat to promote regional cooperation
Barcelona, 11 March 2016. Ms. Mariya Gabriel, Vice-President of the European People’s Party (EPP) group at the European Parliament, and EPP group’s coordinator for the Euro-Mediterranean region, headed a delegation that made a working visit to the UfM Secretariat to follow-up on the work developed by the organization, discuss the present challenges in the Mediterranean and the importance of supporting the regional cooperation efforts to confront these challenges.
The delegation, that included European Parliamentarians Santiago Fisas Ayxelà and Francesc Gambús, as well as the Deputy Secretary General of the EPP Group, Paulo Licandro, met with the UfM Secretary General, Fathallah Sijilmassi, and with the heads of different divisions at the Secretariat.
Une journée extrêmement enrichissante grâce à @FSijilmassi et @UfMSecretariat Merci de votre engagement, professionnalisme et énergie 1/2
— Mariya Gabriel (@GabrielMariya) March 11, 2016
During a full working day, the EPP delegation was briefed on the UfM projects that are being implemented in the Mediterranean region in the fields of Business Development, Transport and Urban Development, Energy and Climate Change, Water and Environment, Higher Education and Research and on Social and Civil Affairs, as well as the different events and initiatives conducted by the UfM Secretariat.
The Members of the European Parliament concurred that the priorities driven by the UfMS on Youth Employability and Inclusive Growth, Sustainable Development and Women Empowerment encompass the most pressing and relevant issues for region, encouraging the Secretariat to further pursue its efforts for regional cooperation and integration.
Special importance was given to the perspectives of reinforcement of the UfM and on the relevance of a closer proximity and cooperation between the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the UfM and the UfM Secretariat that can more effectively enhance the common goals of stability and socio-economic development in the Mediterranean.
#UfM: des projets concrets pour relations #UE – #Mediterranée au service des citoyens. Vous avez notre soutien! @FSijilmassi @UfMSecretariat — Mariya Gabriel (@GabrielMariya) March 11, 2016
The members of the EPP Euro-Mediterranean working group manifested their strong support for the work of the UfM Secretariat, insisting on the importance of building more bridges between Europe and the Eastern and Southern Mediterranean, and working on the reinforcement of political, security and development ties in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
