The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, has taken part in the Meeting of Senior Officials of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), where he defended the importance of Euro-Arab dialogue as a means of advancing towards peace and stability, reaffirming Spain’s commitment to diplomacy, dialogue, international law, the multilateral system and the United Nations Charter.
At a critical juncture for the region, Albares reiterated that “unilateral options will not be an option for peace and that the only viable alternative for restoring peace and stability in the region is dialogue and diplomacy”.
Senior Officials’ Meetings (SOM) are held on a quarterly basis and are attended by ambassadors or senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of member countries, as well as representatives of key partners, including the EU, the EIB, the League of Arab States, the ARLEM and the Anna Lindh Foundation. During the meeting, topics such as the situation in the Middle East and migration were discussed. The annual results of the various Deputy General Secretariats were also presented.
The UfM Senior Officials’ Meeting coincides with the end of the term of office of the Secretary-General, Nasser Kamel, with whom Albares held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the event. The minister wished to convey Kamel's “professional and personal commitment to the Mediterranean project, having played a key role in recent years in shaping the UfM”. He also highlighted “his work in making this institution a cornerstone of the Euro-Mediterranean agenda”.
Reform of the UfM
Last November, during the Regional Forum which coincided with the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process, the Euro-Mediterranean partnership was strengthened through the reform of the UfM and the official launch of the new Mediterranean Pact by the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Suiça. In 2025, the Mediterranean agenda was also discussed at ministerial level at the EU Foreign Affairs Council and at EU-Southern Neighbourhood ministerial meetings, such as the one held in July 2025.
The minister highlighted the reform of the UfM, its ‘New Vision’, as a key roadmap for the coming years with the aim of achieving shared stability and prosperity in the Mediterranean.
For images, click here
.
-NON OFFICIAL TRANSLATION-