The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, participated this Monday in the Southern Neighbourhood ministerial meeting, on the eve of the Foreign Affairs Council taking place on Tuesday. At the meeting, which was attended by Ministers for Foreign Affairs from the Southern Neighbourhood countries, Albares called on the EU to strengthen the political relationship with the region, fostering a partnership of equals that addresses priority areas of common interest. He also highlighted the role of the Union for the Mediterranean, headquartered in Barcelona, in achieving these objectives.
The Southern Neighbourhood ministerial meeting —held for the first time in three years—included a first part devoted to the Pact for the Mediterranean. This new instrument should enhance all EU programmes and lines of action with its Mediterranean partners, with an increasingly important role for the Union for the Mediterranean. Albares argued that the Pact should include political dialogue, which must be a “central axis” for jointly building an area of “shared security and prosperity between the EU and the Mediterranean”.
The second part of the ministerial meeting, in working dinner format, had the objective of analysing the current geopolitical situation in the region. It was another opportunity for the Minister to recall the central importance of the Palestinian issue, and the importance of more countries recognising the State of Palestine, as Spain has done. Albares insisted that “implementing the two-State solution once and for all is the only possible basis for peace and stability in the region”.
The meeting was attended by High Representative Kaja Kallas, Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica and the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean Nasser Kamel, as well as EU and Mediterranean Ministers for Foreign Affairs.
Bilateral Meetings
On the margins of the meeting, Albares held a bilateral meeting with Maroš Šefčovič, Commissioner for Trade of the European Commission, to whom he showed his support in tariff negotiations with the United States. He also reminded him of the importance of strengthening unity and aiming to defend the interests of Europeans, their businesses, consumers and workers. They also discussed the next steps for the entry into force of the Gibraltar agreement.
Additionally, Albares held bilateral meetings with the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Morocco, Nasser Bourita; Jordan, Ayman Safadi; Egypt, Badr Abdelatty; Palestine, Varsen Aghabekian Shaheen; Syria, Assad al-Shaibani; Lebanon, Youssef Rjei; and Israel, Gideon Sa'ar. He addressed the geopolitical situation in the region with all of them, stressing the need to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, to allow the entry of humanitarian aid, the unconditional release of hostages and the requirement to respect International Law and International Humanitarian Law.
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