Date of release : 01-04-2005

Policy area : General Affairs and External Relations

Event : Euro-Mediterranean Civil Forum

Nicolas Schmit, Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Immigration, gave a speech of welcome on the occasion of the first day of the Euro-Mediterranean Civil Forum, which is being held in Luxembourg from 1 to 3 April 2005.

Nicolas Schmit welcomed the 10th anniversary of the Barcelona process. "I was in Barcelona ten years ago, and I saw the hopes and aspirations that were born on that occasion. It is Europe, together with its Mediterranean partners, who really invented the idea of a new Middle East, of a new Euro-Mediterranean partnership. We, the people of the two shores of the Mediterranean, have built this idea of partnership together. Now we need to strengthen it."

Nicolas Schmit stated that the process had a certain basis of economic interests, but that it was the shared values, and above all the idea of peace, that were the origin of the Barcelona Process. "The goal of Barcelona is to bring together the people of the Mediterranean region. We have a substantial and solid basis that must be built on to construct a true partnership", stated the Minister.

At the Parliamentary Assembly of the Barcelona Process, which was held in mid-March in Cairo, Nicolas Schmit said that he had seen the seeds of a true democratisation of the process: "This Assembly shows that parliamentarianism, the idea of democracy, is underway in our partnership."

Touching on the place of the Civil Forum in the process, Nicolas Schmit was of the opinion that the "pillars of a true civil society" were emerging. He continued: "The fact that you are all gathered here shows that civil society is active." While the process has, according to the Minister, "created ample disillusionment", Nicolas Schmit said that “we are seeing the strong return of peace and of dialogue." Addressing the participants, he said: "You are the messengers of this hope, of the idea that dialogue can lead to reconciliation. Here you can speak about everything, even difficult matters. This is the essential basis, the only means of relaunching a process that we all very much want. We must found a partnership that goes beyond diplomatic cooperation between governments." On the contrary, we must "bring about a true rapprochement of the people, make them understand each other. Only bringing people together can lead to democracy." He concluded his speech by assuring the participants that the Luxembourg Presidency would pay attention to the messages that the Civil Forum will send out.

Finally, he made an appeal to the participants: "Show the way, provide new ideas so that we can achieve the goal of strengthened cooperation, of more intense contact between the people in the years to come. Transcend your differences. There can be no dialogue without transcending differences. I wish you courage and clear thinking. Thank you very much for being here. I am proud that you have come."