The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Fathallah Sijilmassi, addressed the ALDE Group on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Arab Spring

Barcelona- The Liberal Democrats Party – the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) – organized a conference in Barcelona on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Arab Spring. Addressing the parliamentarians, the Secretary General of the UfM, Fathallah Sijilmassi, called upon the European political parties to strengthen the political dialogue and support reforms in the Mediterranean partner countries, in addition to support the UfM initiatives, through the Parliamentarian Assembly of the UfM, also to assist in raising awareness of public opinion and citizens about the importance of the Euro-Med partnership. He elaborated that both in the North and in the South, there is a unanimity that the methodology of the Euro Mediterranean partnership needs to be adapted to new realities. So far important decisions and steps have been taken in that direction. Mr. Sijilmassi underlined that the UfM is more than ever the appropriate tool for the new Euro Mediterranean partnership, as it is built on the Co-ownership concept between the North and the South.

The conference was inaugurated by President Artur Mas, the Leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE); Mr. Guy Verhofstadt, ELDR President Mr. Graham Watson; Bernardino Leon, EU Special Representative for the Southern Mediterranean Region; as well as by many representatives from the Arab World.