The Diplomat
The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) will celebrate next November 28 the first official Mediterranean Day, which was approved during the organization’s last Regional Forum to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Barcelona Process.
The UfM “is proud to announce that this year will be the first official Mediterranean Day, an annual celebration of Mediterranean identity, culture and cooperation”, the organization said last Friday. “With the support of the 42 member states of the Union for the Mediterranean, we want everyone to join us on November 28 to celebrate all that makes this region so rich and unique”, it continued.
The 42 member states of the UfM approved during the fifth Regional Forum, held on November 27 at the Pedralbes Palace in Barcelona, the creation of the International Mediterranean Day, to be celebrated on November 28 each year in commemoration of November 28, 1995, the date on which the Barcelona Declaration was signed, which laid the foundations for the creation of the UfM.
Through this celebration, according to the UfM, the aim is to “foster a common Mediterranean identity and to publicize the efforts made by all stakeholders working on a daily basis to enhance cooperation and integration in the Euro-Mediterranean area”. “The cultural dimension will also be an important component, providing the occasion for events, exhibitions and festivals throughout the region to strengthen ties between the two shores, promote exchange and intercultural dialogue and embrace the region’s diversity”, it added.
“The Mediterranean is our home and our livelihood, our history and our future”, said UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel. “We face great challenges as a region, but we also have great potential, and Mediterranean Day is a fantastic opportunity to rejoice in all that we have done and all that we can achieve if we work together”, he added. The UfM brings together 42 European and southern Mediterranean countries to work together on an equal footing under a North-South co-presidency currently held by the EU and Jordan.
