At the inaugural session of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) in Barcelona today, mayors of major cities from the European Union and the Mediterranean partner countries have joined forces to energise the Euro-Mediterranean partnership.

At the inaugural session of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) in Barcelona today, mayors of major cities from the European Union and the Mediterranean partner countries have joined forces to energise the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. The mayors are determined to go beyond existing traditional diplomatic relations by launching concrete cooperation programmes on issues such as immigration, climate change, urban development or cultural exchange. Closeness to citizens, efficiency in project management and tackling real life issues will be at the heart of this cooperation, which should underpin the institutional framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Union.

“The Committee of the Regions (CoR), as the driving force behind the establishment of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly, will ensure that the political dynamic created in Barcelona will continue and transform into concrete cooperation on the ground,” CoR President Luc Van den Brande stressed. “The aim of ARLEM is to activate the regional and local representatives of the three shores of the Mediterranean so that they launch common decentralised cooperation projects of, share best practices, foster mutual understanding and intercultural dialogue and develop new creative twinning,” the President added.

Addressing the press at Pedralbes Palace in Barcelona, the city's mayor Jordi Hereu I Boher, underlined his pride at hosting the inaugural session of ARLEM. “Barcelona's vocation to be the capital of this Euro-Mediterranean area means that we support any initiative to strengthen political relations within the Euro-Mediterranean region. It has been obvious from the beginning that the Mediterranean Union is not only a matter for states. Regions, cities, and civil society are necessary in the process of creating this Union. As  the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly, ARLEM is a wonderful tool to build this necessary Union,  between Europe and the Mediterranean partner countries.”

The mayor of Stuttgart, Germany, Wolfgang Schuster underlined the close relations and the interdependence which exist between northern European regions and the Mediterranean. "In Stuttgart we have about 100,000 people who hail originally from the Mediterranean region. This is why I feel that I am also the mayor of a Mediterranean city, and I am very glad to say that our culture in central Europe has been very much influenced by the cultural heritage of the Mediterranean region. For many years now we have established particularly close and fruitful cooperation with our partner cities, Menzel Bourguiba in Tunisia and Cairo in Egypt, with whom we implement common projects on urban planning, waste management, environmental policy or youth exchange programmes."

Ahmed Hamza, President of the urban community of Nouakchott, Mauretania, hopes that ARLEM will lead to greater  decentralisation in the Mediterranean region. “We are very happy to be in Barcelona to participate in the creation of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly. We sincerely hope that this new tool will help us to push for more decentralisation in our countries and to increase the cooperation between our regions and cities by better twinning and the exchange of good practices. It is clear to me that we will create more democracy and more efficiency if we give more competences and resources to our regions and cities. ARLEM will surely contribute to this and to a good integration of the North and the South.

For Hamid Chabat, the mayor of Fez, Morocco, the launch of ARLEM creates new perspectives and a new quality of political dialogue. “ARLEM is an enormous step forward in the political relations within the Euro-Mediterranean region. It is the first time that regional and local elected representatives from the region have taken their destiny into their own hands. We hope that the cooperation launched by ARLEM will be concrete and beneficial for the three shores of the Mediterranean,” The mayor added:  “For many years, Fez has been working  on concrete projects with cities in Italy, France and Spain, and in particular with Barcelona with whom we have established a joint digital media library for our citizens. This is a pilot project for cultural exchange and mutual understanding which is definitely best practice for the region.”

The mayor of Haifa (Israel), Yona Yahav, also underlined the need for inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue, and praised the multicultural model character of his city as a best practice for reconciliation in the Mediterranean region. “The city of Haifa, which is the third biggest city in Israel, is a living example of the possibility of coexistence in the Middle East,” said the mayor. “A prosperous port city and a vibrant cultural hub, Haifa brings together Jews and Arabs and makes room for religious diversity. The Bahai centre in Haifa has already been recognised by UNESCO as a world heritage site. We hope that initiatives such as ARLEM will facilitate further cooperation between Israeli local authorities, including Haifa, and their partner authorities in the Euro-Mediterranean region. We appeal to the newly formed organisation to avoid letting political divisions jeopardize its goal of greater cooperation. If it can do that, then ARLEM is sure to succeed."By doing so ARLEM will assure the achievement of its goals.”