THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PARTICIPATES IN THE "EURO-MEDITERRANEAN THINK TANK MEETING OF MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS"

THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PARTICIPATES IN THE "EURO-MEDITERRANEAN THINK TANK MEETING OF MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS"

 The Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Joe Borg, was in Lisbon on the 25^th and 26^th May to participate in the "Euro-Mediterranean Think Tank Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs". The said Ministerial meeting was aimed at holding an open discussion on all facets of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership with a view to inject renewed impetus into the Process in preparation for the Ministerial Meeting to be held later on this year in France.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs were briefed on developments in the Common European Security and Defence Policy and the European Union's Common Strategy for the Mediterranean by Jaime Gama, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal and President of the European Union Council of Ministers, Javier Solana, High Representative of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy and Chris Patten, EU Commissioner for External Relations. Ministers also assessed the progress made on the Charter for Peace and Stability in the Mediterranean as well as the current situation in the economic and financial partnership and the social and cultural chapter. Developments in the Middle East were also discussed.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Joe Borg, welcomed the recent developments in the Middle East and augured that further steps would be taken to consolidate peace. He called for a renewed commitment to the Barcelona Process in order to make more tangible the progress in the Euro-Mediterranean region.