The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, met on Friday 10 July with the Acting Secretary-General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Fadi Hajali, at the Organisation’s headquarters, where they discussed the upcoming 2026 Regional Forum of the Union for the Mediterranean, as well as the implementation of the new Pact for the Mediterranean and the organisation’s role in its Action Plan.
Albares emphasised that “the new Pact for the Mediterranean represents a strategic opportunity for relations between the European Union and its Southern Neighbourhood partners, and the importance of translating it into concrete results through a substantial Action Plan”.
Furthermore, the Foreign Minister reiterated Spain’s commitment to the organisation – whose new Headquarters Agreement with Spain came into force last June – and its support for the holding of its sectoral ministerial meetings. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has contributed to the sustainability of the Union for the Mediterranean through regular contributions to its budget (€500,000 in 2025), and specific contributions from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) for programmes and projects.
The AECID’s regional strategy, ‘Masar Al’an’, has also included regional integration and cooperation and the Union for the Mediterranean amongst its cross-cutting priorities.
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