Summit for a Connected Mediterranean
Institutional
9 June 2025, Nice, France. On the occasion of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference, the Government of France will convene a high-level summit on 9 June 2025 in Nice, bringing together heads of state and government from Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Gulf region. The Summit for a Connected Mediterranean will focus on reinforcing and securing terrestrial, maritime, and digital connections in the Mediterranean basin — a critical region facing geopolitical tensions and increasing global competition over infrastructure.
The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) will take part in this pivotal gathering, which aims to foster political commitments and stimulate investment in infrastructure essential to sustainable regional development. Nasser Kamel, Secretary General of the UfM, is expected to deliver a speech during the opening session, highlighting the organisation’s strategic role in enhancing regional connectivity.
The summit will address three key pillars of connectivity:
-
Terrestrial connectivity: Strengthening commercial links and transport infrastructure investments between Europe and the wider Mediterranean, in line with commitments made during the 2024 EU–Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit.
-
Maritime connectivity: Advancing efforts to decarbonise the maritime sector by electrifying major ports, such as Marseille Fos, Barcelona, and Tanger Med, and promoting the establishment of green corridors across the Mediterranean. These initiatives align with the EU’s climate neutrality targets and the forthcoming New Pact for the Mediterranean, to be unveiled later in 2025.
-
Digital connectivity: Enhancing digital cooperation, particularly in submarine cable infrastructure, a sector vital for global data flows. The summit will provide an opportunity to boost the Mediterranean’s position as a leading digital hub while addressing challenges related to cybersecurity, sustainability, and biodiversity impacts.
The summit will bring together 21 heads of state and government from Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Gulf, including leaders from:
-
The MED9 group (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Malta, Cyprus)
-
Germany, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Türkiye.
Also attending are key regional organisations — the European Union (EU), the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the UfM — alongside major development banks (EBRD, EIB, IsDB, AfDB, World Bank) and public and private sector actors such as CMA CGM, OCP, Egypt Telecom, Acwa Power, and many others.
