Updated: Maltese to be deputy general secretary of Mediterranean Union
(Adds Malta liaison office between the EU and the Arab League)
A Maltese will be among deputy general secretaries of the newly set up secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean, it emerged today.
The Union will have a secretary general from a southern state, who has yet to be appointed, and five deputies -- an Israeli, Palestinian, Italian, Maltese and Greek -- who would all serve three year terms.
The setting up of the secretariat was among subjects discussed at a meeting of foreign ministers from 43 EU and Mediterranean countries in Marseilles.
In terms of a compromise deal, the seat of the Mediterranean Union, also known as 'Club Med' will be in Barcelona. Malta had itself sought to host the secretariat.
Malta was however selected to host a liaison office for dialogue between the EU and the Arab League.
The proposal was made jointly by EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Benita Ferrero Waldner and Arab League Secretary-General Amre Mousa.
The office, the first of its kind, will group EU, Arab League and Maltese experts who will promote dialogue between Europe and the Arab countries.
"The chance of failure was high, but a good compromise deal was found in the end," said Stefania Craxi, under secretary at Italy's foreign ministry.
The project will replace an existing EU-Mediterranean partnership, known as the Barcelona process, and is meant to focus on an array of highly practical programmes to help the region including water, energy and education schemes.
The problems that dogged the 1995 Barcelona process had threatened to cripple the new-look Union, with tensions relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict snarling progress.
Israel had protested against a drive by the Arab League to play an active role, saying it was too politicised and would try to scupper cooperation projects with the Jewish state.
Israel finally agreed to the League participating "at all levels" of the Union in return for being given a prominent position within the Union's newly established bureaucracy.
Overcoming another problem, Paris convinced its partners to let the twin presidents -- France and Egypt -- serve an initial two years before passing on the baton to other states.
While wrangling over the make up of the Union continued, four of the proposed projects have already started, including de-pollution work on the Mediterranean and a civil protection scheme to prepare for natural and man-made disasters.
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James Cassar
Dec 14th 2008, 17:41
With all due respect, I think all the credit ought to go to former foreign minister michael frendo. The only reason Malta was given the opportunity to host the liason office and be amongst the dep secgens, was his initiative to organise and host what turned out to be an extremely successful, high level, eu-arab league meeting at the beginning of this year. Dr Borg had little or nothing to do with this.
randolph peresso
Nov 4th 2008, 22:02
@ a leone ganado
it's ether fools, or positive-thinking individuals...... Your comments reveal a pessimistic attitude! Sorry mate!
albert leone ganado
Nov 4th 2008, 20:30
We as a nation have that good disposition that we can psychologically turn a defeat into an imagined victory. We lost the med union agency to Barcelona and claim success because we have been assigned some crumb of an inconsequential post of no relevance.
I am sure the papers and government will treat this result as a victory tomorrow.
But if it makes us feel better and at least explain why we are classified as the happiest country in Europe so be it. It is better than sulking at our irrelevance within the EU and becoming a despondent nation.
As I get older I am beginning to realise that fools often live a better and happier life than those who are aware of their true position in the real world.
Lawrence Martinelli
Nov 4th 2008, 17:48
Franco Farrugia =
You are right....Malta SHOULD be the CENTRE link between Europe & the Arab world
for obvious reasons.
Jean Claude Azzopardi =
Feel ashamed to say Maltese ?
Take it from an old man who has spent over 50 years of his life abroad.......Whereever I go
,or went, when I said Maltese I felt more than welcome.
You may say ......may be becouse you came from a "puliti" class.
No....I hardly went to school , I started my working life as a ship's galley boy.
A mate of mine (Lawrence G......) became Seaman's Union Chief in Singapore.
Again.....Malta is the perfect place to bring Europe & the Arab world people to understand each other a bit more.....I would not call playing second fiddle an achievement.
Ray Cachia Zammit
Nov 4th 2008, 17:34
When France had first suggested setting up the Med-Union, the question was how this initiative could be made to fit-in with the already existing EU-Med Partnership, better known as the Barcelona Process. It is clear that the choice of Barcelona as the seat for the new Med-Union has been made to help resolve this potential conflict. From this perspective, it would not be realistic to think that Malta could have somehow manouvered to obtain the Med-Union seat for itself.
On the other hand, this same process has resulted in Malta being selected to host a liaison office for dialogue between the EU and the Arab League. It would be a mistake to think of this as being merely a consolation prize. In actual fact, it is a very positive development which provides Malta with a golden opportunity and with the ideal means to project itself as an effective bridge between Europe and the Arab world. This is a role which we have always said that we wanted to fill.
Simon Ciantar
Nov 4th 2008, 17:13
Job well done by Minister Borg on this, given our limited resources I think that what we obtained was more than a fair share of the deal. Let us hope that things will proceed quickly.
Franco Farrugia
Nov 4th 2008, 16:58
@ S. Micallef - Malta is not a makku. Hmm.... That, I begin to wonder. It certainly looks as if we are, indeed, since we lost the prestigious seat.
We don't congratulate Ministers who spend their time repeating their Master's Voice on Sundays, or simply visit small village bandclubs to repeat party mantras ad infinitum. A Foreign Minister spends his time abroad, doing foreign work, fullstop.
@ Jean Claude Azzopardi - Are you real?????? What 'accomplishment'? It would have been accomplishment had we garnered for ourselves the seat! Not a mere' deputy general secretariat', one of several!!!!! And we were ideal for that seat! As we were for Frontex.
jean claude azzopardi
Nov 4th 2008, 15:46
That is indeed an accomplishment….well done Tonio Borg. This is indeed positive. We must all strive hard for our country…with concrete results such as this one. Far away are the days when one was shy to say to be a Maltese, even in Sicily!
S Micallef
Nov 4th 2008, 15:45
Well done Tonio Borg….Malta is not a makku!