Speech by President of the Government at opening of meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers of European Union and Southern Neighbourhood

Barcelona

Mr President of the Regional Government of Catalonia; Madam EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; Mr Foreign Affairs Minister of Latvia and Rotating President of the Council of the European Union; Mr Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation; foreign affairs ministers; Mr Commissioner for the European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations; Mr Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean; Ambassadors; ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to warmly welcome you to Barcelona. I sincerely believe that, in order to hold this informal Ministerial Meeting of the European Union with the countries in our Southern Neighbourhood, few places can match up to this Catalan city which is the Spanish capital of the Mediterranean. This is an open and welcoming city which has made Spain famous throughout the world.

This year, 2015, we celebrate the fourth centenary of the publication of the second part of a book that is as intimately tied to this city as "Don Quixote". And I wish that you all, as Miguel de Cervantes did, take away the very best memories from this "great, famous, rich and well founded city" which, true to its Mediterranean vocation, remains today, as indeed it was yesterday, "the pride of Spain" and "a gem among the beautiful cities of the world", as was penned by the finest scribe of Spanish literature of all time.

Ladies and gentlemen,

No-one is blind to the profound symbolism of Barcelona for Euro-Mediterranean policy. It was here, on 27 and 28 November 2005, where the Euro-Mediterranean Meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers was held which led to the founding, through the so-called "Barcelona Declaration" of an association with a broad scope between the European Union and our neighbours from the Mediterranean basis. Barcelona is also the headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean, which hosts today's meeting. Today, once again, and following our tradition, the Government of Spain places Barcelona - by holding this important meeting - at the very epicentre of European politics together with the countries from the southern shore.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Mediterranean has always received special attention from the European Union, and furthermore, geographic, historic and cultural ties have meant that Spain serves as a bridgehead between the countries of the two shores. I am a firm believer that the Mediterranean binds us, rather than separates us, because, as has been asserted by great essayists of our times, when we speak about the Mediterranean we are not "only speaking about the past or about traditions, history or heritage, memories or belonging", but rather we should also consider that "the Mediterranean is our destiny" and "a common homeland". That is why it is our duty to build on this and care for it jointly and responsibly, as partners, with the firm goal of improving the well-being of our citizens.

Over the course of these years, we have developed an ambitious association, both due to its intensity and to the variety of the issues dealt with, and we have done so from a perspective of mutual respect and the conviction that we can only overcome the challenges facing both shores through the common implementation of projects and use of resources. We are aware of the challenges and the threats facing us, as well as of the need to devote greater attention and efforts to these issues. If we share problems, it would only seem logical that we can find solutions together.

Against this backdrop, the European Union has launched a process to revise the European Neighbourhood Policy. This is being done at a particularly opportune time, not only because it takes place at the start of a new European political cycle, but also because of the urgency of renewing our strategic commitment in a changing environment characterised by the magnitude of the challenges and the opportunities before us. The European Neighbourhood Policy is an excellent tool for achieving these goals. We must modernise it and refine it so that it better meets its purpose.

I would like to highlight the enormous interest aroused by this Spanish initiative which was swiftly taken on by the European Union and by its Member States. We are honoured by the presence here today of the foreign affairs ministers of our southern partners and of those of the European Union: 32 out of a total of 38. This is the first meeting at this level that unites the two shores of the Mediterranean since the ministerial meeting held in Marseilles in 2008 on the occasion of the launch of the Union for the Mediterranean. I believe that it was time to meet up again and, sincerely, we must make an effort to maintain these meetings with greater frequency. It is by talking that we can better know and understand each other.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is not a question of redesigning our policies today from scratch, or of rewarding some partners over others or of imposing points of view or criticising the political options of participating States. We are here to extend our relations of friendship and cooperation, make them more flexible and effective, attend to the different needs of the countries on the southern shores in order to adopt a more suitable approach to their needs and expectations, and to extend mutual ties of cooperation in finding solutions to shared challenges. When we speak about the southern shore of the Mediterranean, we are referring not only to the non-European Mediterranean countries, as we ourselves are also southern shore countries, those European countries that proudly form part of Mare Nostrum. In short, the southern shore means all of us who are gathered here today.

Our aim is that which common sense dictates; to create a space of security, stability, prosperity and good neighbourliness based on shared values. Hence it is a question of reaffirming Europe's commitment to the Mediterranean and the Mediterranean's commitment to Spain. And Barcelona is testimony today to that commitment.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In life, the best policy with any neighbour is to forge stability and well-being, because the stability and well-being of all parties is at stake.

The challenges we must face together are many. One of them, and a very important one, as has already been mentioned here today, is the orderly management of migratory flows. Spain's experience shows that only through cooperation with the countries of origin and transit of illegal immigration can we effectively tackle this heartbreaking drama that causes thousands of victims: people who lose their lives - today, a day like today, nine people have died off the Italian coast - and those people who are the object of human trafficking.

This joint action must be based on increased development cooperation, the creation of job and training opportunities for young people in their countries of origin, increased investment and trade in the region, improved legal channels for immigration and bilateral and multilateral dialogue. Some individual countries have managed to take steps but the European Union as a whole has much more powerful tools that it should decisively resort to in order to resolve this problem.

As well as perfecting our political association, we must also step up the economic integration of our southern neighbours with the European Union which, at the same time, will result in the creation of a regional space of south-south cooperation. Opening up the markets, financial aid and greater freedom of movement are key aspects on which we must continue working.

Europe must use all the instruments available to it to create a true area of prosperity across the two shores of the Mediterranean. We are called on to act with greater commitment - I repeat, with greater commitment - in relation to those governments and people that are going through periods of instability, by helping them to recover economically and accompanying them on their path of growth. The difference in terms of per capita income between the countries on the two shores is one of the highest in the world today and reducing this gap must help guide our actions and be an ongoing target for us.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Finally, I wish to share a thought with you on the greatest threat facing us, I repeat the greatest of all, which is Jihadi terrorism.

I wish to pay tribute and acknowledge, on my own behalf, on that of my government and of all the people of Spain, the victims of the terrorist attacks that many of our countries have suffered from. On both shores we have mourned together the victims of this barbarity, this fanaticism and senselessness. And their memory must live on forever.

Jihadi terrorism, some have not discovered this yet, but Jihadi terrorism is a direct threat to the security of our countries and our citizens, and it undoubtedly constitutes the main threat of our time. Let no-one be deluded by talking about Jihadism as a representation of Islam, let no-one be deceived by the falsehood when people speak about a fight between Islam and the Western world. Terrorism, let's make this perfectly clear, constitute a challenge to us all and the Islamic world is as much a victim of this scourge of terrorism as the rest of us. This terrorism knows no borders and has hit us all regardless of our geographic situation or our religion.

We must therefore be on guard to prevent this type of actions and to relentlessly hunt down those responsible and bring them to justice. Just last week here in Barcelona, the Mossos d'Esquadra broke up a terrorist cell that was attracting and radicalising young Islamists to send them to fight in the ranks of the Jihadists. My sincere thanks go out to the work of the State law enforcement agencies here in Spain and in all the countries represented by you here today.

The fight against terrorism requires very diverse interventions: some strictly security aspects but also preventive diplomacy, encouraging dialogue, actions to avoid radicalisation, the fight against the phenomenon of returning combatants and the control of their sources of financing.

The best method for combating this is international cooperation. The most important thing, and we must be absolutely clear about this is that we can only combat this evil if we act together. Together we are much stronger. Respect for life, for human dignity, for freedom and for the rule of law constitute the cornerstones of the fight against fanaticism. Our determination is key, and for that reason, I wish to underline my support for those countries that suffer from the blight of terrorism. The Spanish people, who in times past have unfortunately suffered from the cruelty and senselessness of terrorism, are firmly committed to this fight. It is hard to build more stable societies without security.

I am convinced that a shared commitment between the two shores of the Mediterranean will allow us to defeat the barbarity of terrorism and forge a common space of liberty, stability and prosperity.

I will draw to a close now.

Today's meeting offers a wonderful opportunity to strengthen frank and constructive dialogue that Europe and the Mediterranean so badly need. It has enabled us to listen to the opinions and perspectives of all the participants, understand the expectations that exist and define the opportunities for collaboration that arise.

In a rapidly changing world that is gradually becoming more interdependent, the value of unity instead of separation, of broad-mindedness, the awareness of many centuries of co-existence, the consideration of what we have in common rather than what separates us and the reaffirmation of our shared values constitute the basis that should enable us to make progress with expectation on future projects to the benefit of all our compatriots.

From this city of Barcelona, which today is the capital of diplomacy, my wish is that your work at this conference proves to be fruitful and productive.

Thank you very much.