UFM head praises Turkey's role in Mediterranean

Fathallah Sijilmassi, Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UFM), praised Turkey's role for UFM countries. Sijilmassi told AA that Turkey had a key role for UFM countries, adding that Turkey was a leading country for the Mediterranean countries, and it had an active and positive role within UFM. Sijilmassi noted that Turkey played a key role in the Mediterranean affairs due to its political importance, economic development and excellent relations with all UFM member countries in the region. "Turkey is a major stakeholder in Mediterranean affairs. I had the opportunity to convey to Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu my gratitude for Turkey's active support to the UFM and to present to him the different activities that we are developing with the support of Turkey. I intend to make other visits to Turkey. I conveyed to different officials the invitation to visit the Secretariat in Barcelona to continue these discussions " said Sijilmassi. Stating that UFM focused on regional cooperation, Sijilmassi said, "within the framework of the different activities of the UFM, the Turkish representatives play a very active and positive role and there is a very good harmony and collaboration with all the other members of the UFM. So, we try to advance on the pillars that are achievable on the socio-economic projects that we can develop for the benefit of regional cooperation. Regional cooperation is very low in the Mediterranean area, so it is a challenge. Because we cannot continue having such a low regional cooperation." UFM, enclosing both EU and non-EU Mediterranean countries, is a multilateral partnership with the aim of increasing the potential for regional integration and cohesion among its partners. Within the EUROMED-Barcelona Process, launched in 1995 to settle a permanent institutional framework of cooperation in the Mediterranean, the UfM was established in Paris on July 13, 2008 in line with the Paris and Marseille Declarations. Situated in Barcelona, Spain, the UFM holds its meetings chaired by a co-presidency of two partners, one from the EU side and the other from the Mediterranean side. The UFM regularly prepares regional, sub-regional and transnational projects to improve the socio-economic development, regional integration, sustainable development and the exchange of knowledge among member countries.