BRUSSELS: The EU has launched a renewed push to strengthen ties with northern African countries and other Mediterranean nations, offering investments, deeper cultural ties, and cooperation on migration.
The European Commission unveiled a “Pact for the Mediterranean”, which lays out areas, including energy, clean technology, and education, where the 27-nation bloc would like to boost cooperation with its southern neighbors.
“We are making a clear offer to our neighbors. Let us create a common Mediterranean space with a goal of progressive integration between the two of us,” commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said.
Aimed at 10 nations, including Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Algeria, the pact envisages a series of actions such as the creation of a “Mediterranean University” to increase student exchanges and an initiative to support start-ups.
It partially replicates and rationalizes the concept behind a series of deals that Brussels recently struck with Tunisia, Libya, and others, providing aid and investments in return for help with migration.
