Italy's Ciampi calls for more rapprochement between Mediterranean Banks

President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi of Italy on Thursday called for more rapprochement between the two banks of the Mediterranean. The economic and demographic gap between the two banks of the Mediterranean is so wide that rapprochement has become a necessity to ensure a lasting stability in the region, Ciampi said in a lecture at the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco. Italy believes that the Mediterranean area should be at the centre of interest for the European Union, he said, adding that prosperity in the region goes through an awareness of the shared dangers and challenges.