The President of Malta addresses Aspen Institute Conference

H.E. The President, Prof. Guido de Marco, returned yesterday morning from Taormina, where he was participating in the International Conference organized by the Aspen Institute Italia on "Europe and the Mediterranean".

The Conference addressed the issues dealt with within the context of the Euro Mediterranean Process, namely the human, cultural and social aspect, the political and security aspect and the economic aspect.

H.E. The President was the guest speaker of the Conference and also chaired one of the sessions. In his introductory intervention, Professor Guido de Marco, stated that in spite of the fact that currently one could not speak of a Mediterranean identity, the region shared common interests, common concerns and a common heritage. Increasing globalization could lead to the consolidation of shared values, but could also lead to a superficial understanding of values. One had to examine what common values could lead to a Euro-Mediterranean society. The President stated that the basis for such values was human rights. Universal and fundamental in nature, human rights cut across cultures and traditions. The rule of law was another value which led to continuity. The issue was to underline universality and avoid uniformity. The Mediterranean was characterised by a diversity which led to its richness. Understanding such diversity could help in the creation of common values towards a Euro-Mediterranean society.

During his second intervention, dealing with the setting of a political and security agenda for the Mediterranean, President de Marco underlined the notion of trust and confidence which was required in the Mediterranean to turn it into a sea of peace, a "Mare Nostrum".

The notion that security in the Mediterranean and Europe were mutually dependent, was a concept first launched by Malta in the CSCE Helsinki I meeting in 1974. Since then a number of initiatives had been undertaken. The Euro-Med Process was in itself a recognition of this link and sought to build a ‘people to people' approach. Malta's proposal for a Stability Pact for the Mediterranean launched in Paris in 1995, had led to the initiation of work on the Charter for Peace and Security in the Mediterranean within the context of the Euro-Mediterranean Process.

Other participants in the Conference included, Prof. Carlo Scognamiglio, Chairman of Aspen Institute Italia and Minister for Defence of Italy, Mr. Sayin Sukru Sina Gurel, State Minister of Turkey and Mr Friedbert Pfluger, Chairman of the European Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag. Among participating Ambassadors from the Euro-Mediterranean region was Dr. Joseph Cassar, Malta's Ambassador in Rome. A number of personalities from the industry sector such as Mr. Innocenzo Cipolletta, Director General of Confindustria and Mr. Abdulmagid Emansuri of the Libyan Arab Foreign Investment Company, were also among the participants.