Pact for the Mediterranean: press statement by High Representative/Vice President Kaja Kallas at the launch event in Barcelona

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Good morning, everybody.

It is great to be here in Barcelona. The Mediterranean has been on top of our list, on top of our foreign policy agenda, since the day of this Commission started, from the fall of the Assad regime to the war in Gaza. And the geopolitical importance of the region cannot be overstated.  

Right now, there is a window of opportunity to reset the European Union's relationship with the southern neighborhood and build stronger foundations for the future. Today, Commissioner Šuica and I, together with our Mediterranean partners, officially launched the New Pact for the Mediterranean. 

We are proposing billions more funding under our next long-term budget, and with our new Pact, we put forward over 100 initiatives that will benefit the people and the region more broadly.

These projects cover everything, from the support to 5G and data centers, to energy security. We want to support young people in our partner countries with better opportunities, through training, jobs and stronger local economies. Ultimately, expanding opportunity at home gives people the freedom to choose their own future, rather than being pushed into migration by necessity. The common theme is to bring people together across a range of initiatives, from railroad and maritime links to sub-sea cables carrying data between our regions.  

This is also an opportunity to address our shared security threats better. Russia's shadow fleet ships pose major security and environmental risks to both our regions. The European Union needs to work closer with the region to discuss these topics, including via a regional forum dedicated to security. In practice, this means more cooperation, including through the EU’s military and civilian missions in the region, sharing situational awareness and more coordination in our common security threats.  

There is also potential to work closer together on disaster preparedness, including the artificial intelligence early warning system and a new firefighting hub for the region.  

A lot has changed over the 30 years since the EU and the Mediterranean countries established the regional partnership. Today, we adopt a blueprint to make our cooperation more focused for the future.  

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/media/video/I-281460