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EU, Mediterranean States Wind up Second Parliamentary Conference
The second parliamentary conference of European Union (EU) members and Mediterranean countries ended on Wednesday after endorsing a final communique in Egypt's Mediterranean port city of Alexandria.
The communique stressed the necessity for the countries to respect territorial integrity and seek peaceful settlement of conflicts instead of resorting to the use of force in dealing with international and regional affairs.
It called for provision of opportunities and support for the southern and eastern Mediterranean countries in their economic reform programs aimed at developing their economies and posing as equal partners in the Euro-Med cooperation process.
It is important to work for democracy, mutual understanding, transparency and dialog among the 27 participants of the Euro-Med partnership, the communique said.
The success of the Euro-Med partnership, or Barcelona process, hinges on the political will of the participants, making each party shoulder its responsibility in this respect and ensuring the effectiveness of parliaments' role in the societies, it added.
The 15 EU member states and 12 Mediterranean countries launched the Euro-Med partnership in 1995 during a meeting in Barcelona, Spain.
They have, ever since, been exerting efforts to forge close cooperation in the political, economic, social and security fields with a vision to create a free trade area in 2010.
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