Union for Mediterranean Regional Forum: remarks by High Representative / Vice-President Kaja Kallas at the joint press conference

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Good afternoon Minister Albares, dear Jose Manuel, thank you for hosting us here in Barcelona. Spain deserves credit for keeping the Mediterranean on the European Union agenda, and championing dialogue when it is most needed. 

The Union for the Mediterranean is a truly unique organisation. As we already heard, it brings together 43 countries representing over 700 million citizens. The convening power of this organisation alone speaks volumes about its potential of fostering cooperation.  

Today, we had many interesting discussions, which my colleagues here will touch on. I want to mention just one aspect and that is the way we work together. The new Pact for the Mediterranean, which we officially launched today, is an important contribution to this work.

I bring you just one example. In the Pact, we have projects to boost the sustainable maritime economy, create new digital infrastructure, integrate supply chains, and diversify energy flows. The Union for the Mediterranean is vital for the implementation of these projects.

Take digitalisation, for example, which is very close to my heart. The widespread adoption of digital technologies in the Middle East and North Africa would potentially increase the GDP per capita by close to 50% over the next 30 years. But for this, you need cables, you need broadband connectivity, data centers, amongst others. The Union for the Mediterranean can bring all the right people together to make this happen.

I also want to mention Gaza, which is high on everyone’s agenda here and we had extensive discussions about. The ceasefire holds, but it remains fragile. Major questions remain open on every part of the peace plan and the timeframe of the implementation. In the West Bank, record numbers of attacks by settlers are creating fear and undermining international efforts to build peace. These attacks must stop. Those responsible must be held account. The UN Security Council Resolution on an International Stabilisation Force for Gaza is a real opportunity for peace in the region. It enjoys global support and this is the key, but it needs a clear mandate.  

Regarding the European Union's role, firstly, we are the biggest financial backer of the Palestinian Authority and champion for reform. We also have two important missions that support border management and police training on the ground, EUBAM Rafah and EUPOL COPPS. These have already played an instrumental role. 

We are now working with our EU partners to reinforce their presence. For example, with Ministers Safadi and Abdelatty, we also discussed how we could train more Palestinian police officers because ultimately the security responsibility for Gaza will fall to the Palestinian police.  

These discussions continue and we are ready to extend the mandates of both missions to support this process. Securing the peace will require all hands on deck and everyone has a role here.  

And with this, I pass the floor to Commissioner Šuica please. 

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/media/video/I-281463  

Q&A 

Q. How is this supposed to give the EU safer when there's no higher representative from countries in Northern Africa, such as Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria? 

When we are so far away from the frontline in Ukraine, also Syria, and particularly Gaza, what can the EU and the Union for Mediterranean do for Gaza? And to finally, if I may ask, responding to breaking news, what is the reaction of the EU to Trump’s statements; there's not going to be migrants from through world countries. 

Thank you for your questions. It is for security and defense, we usually also have security and defense partnerships that we are concluding with different countries. Like we have security and defense partnership with Albania, we have North Macedonia, We also have UK, Canada. So we are definitely building on those to be very concrete. It is clear that Europe hasn't been a military actor. We are building our defenses now, but we have, as European Union, a military and civilian missions operating right now. We have missions in Bosnia Herzegovina, but we also have the naval maritime missions that are there and could be used. Now, I think today we also had a few discussions about sharing information, maritime awareness, all these things but to deepen those ties, we need to have concrete security and defense dialogues and partnerships with each country. Because it's clear, on the European side that we are also looking into our missions that we already have which are redundant, which we need to do more. For example, last time when we discussed with the defense ministers, then there was a strong will that we would have a mission for helping Lebanon, for example. So, we will continue those discussions. And on Trumps statements, I have been in the meeting rooms, so I heard about this statement, of course, migration policies are every country's own policies, so as far as we know, one is statement and the other is legislative proposals and let’s see what comes. Thank you.