ENPI INFO
The President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz will pay his first official visit outside of the EU to Rabat, Morocco, where he will also take part in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean. The visit will start tomorrow, Saturday, 24 March, and will end on Sunday.
“I am convinced that a comprehensive partnership with the Southern shore of the Mediterranean can be an incredible lever to re-ignite growth for the EU, Northern Africa and the Middle East,” Schulz said ahead of the visit.
He said the recent vote on the trade agreement with Morocco showed the European Parliament was serious about improving relations with its Southern neighbours.“Our support for democratic reforms and transformations in the Mediterranean region needs to be accompanied with tangible actions,” he said.
Schulz added: “We need to continue on this path looking at a strengthened European Neighbourhood Policy, a Multiannual Financial Framework which corresponds to our ambitions, and increased cooperation whether at bilateral or regional level.”
The EP President said Parliamentary dialogue was a key element of this strategy: “The postponement sine die of the second Summit of Heads of State and Government stands as a stark reminder of the potential fragility of high-flying intergovernmental dialogue. Parliaments are the real gatekeepers of the Euro-Mediterranean project.”
The Union for the Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly’s 8th plenary session takes place under the Moroccan Presidency, which will then hand over the Presidency to the EP for one year. (ENPI Info Centre)
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ENPI Info Centre – Delegation of MEPs in Rabat for Union for the Mediterranean Assembly (22-03-12)
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