Euro- Mediterranean parliamentary forum meets in Brussels

The second conference of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Forum is convening in Brussels this February 8-9 under the co-chairmanship of speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives, Abdelouahed Radi, and Speaker of the European Parliament, Nicole Fontaine.

The forum themed "reactivation of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership and the Barcelona Process" is debating a new common strategy for the Mediterranean region, as decided by the European Council during its June 2000 meeting, and the reactivation of the Barcelona process, mainly political and security partnership, economic and financial partnership with emphasis on the Euro-Mediterranean association accords and the projected free-trade area in the region, and social, cultural and human relations.

Speaker of the lower house of the Moroccan parliament, Abdelouahed Radi, who is co-chairing the Euro-Mediterranean parliamentary forum, since it was set up in October 1998, said Thursday the forum should become the "core" for the promotion of peace, solidarity, cooperation, partnership and brotherhood among Mediterranean peoples.

Radi said Mediterranean peoples have no other alternative but to seek peace, stability and security and promote cooperation, solidarity and shared prosperity. There is also no other alternative to democracy, respect of human rights and the rule of the law, co-existence, dialogue, tolerance, and mutual respect between peoples, religions, cultures and civilizations, Radi stated, insisting on the need to stick to the option to make of the Mediterranean a haven of peace, cooperation and brotherhood.

He deplored that the situation prevailing in the region is now far from the goals and ideals set in Barcelona, the Mediterranean being today a zone concentrating mass destruction weapons, a zone of hot spots and tenacious hatred, and a zone where millions of souls are living below the poverty level.

He insisted that the widening gaps in matters of living standards and conditions kindle frustrations and generate revolt and extremism, jeopardizing any genuine dialogue and understanding.

This is not however a curse nor a fatality, Radi said, with goodwill and wisdom war, hatred and confrontation can be overcome.

The forum musters members of the European parliament and members of parliaments of European and south and east Mediterranean countries. It seeks to promote Euro-Mediterranean cooperation part of the Barcelona process.