OPENING SPEECH BY MINSITER OF FOREIGN AFAFIRS LE DRIAN & MARSEILLE COMMITMENTS

USPA NEWS - The Summit of the two banks (Shores of Mediterranean Sea), is the result of an initiative of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, the Summit of both shores, Mediterranean Forum, is held in Marseille on June 23 and 24, 2019. At the end of an unprecedented exercise of consultation of the Mediterranean civil society, its ambition is to relaunch the momentum of cooperation in the Western Mediterranean through the implementation of concrete projects for human, economic and sustainable development in the region. At this occasion the French Minister fo Foreign Affairs, Jean Yves Le Drian is addressing the guests and his counterparts addresses a speech marking the ponies of this two days summit. We are publishing the full text keynote of the Minister's Opening Speech, Jean Yves Le Drian, and Marseille Commitments, at the Summit of The Two Shores 2019 »

Ministers, Gentlemen and ladies, the leaders of international organizations, Mr. President of the Region, dear Renaud Madam President of the Metropolis and County Council, dear Martine Madam President of the Steering Committee, dear Ouided Bouchamaoui, Ladies and Gentlemen, dear Friends, What is the Mediterranean? To this formidable question, and to answer it one must refer to the great authors, I mean Fernand Braudel, who thus defines this sea on which he never ceased to write:------------------------------------------------------------------- "The Mediterranean is a thousand things at a time. Not one landscape but innumerable landscapes. Not a sea but a succession of seas. Not a civilization, but civilizations piled on top of each other. Traveling in the Mediterranean (...) is to meet very old things, still alive, which rub shoulders with the ultra-modern. " So history gives us a part of the answer: the Mediterranean is a unique crossroads in the world, where people, cultures and destinies have always crossed, intertwined, met and often for the better . What is the Mediterranean tomorrow? It is undoubtedly the sum of the hopes of those who make it live and that you represent here. This definition, you feel it, is a form of invitation. This is the invitation that the President of the Republic issued a year and a half ago when he put forward the idea of “‹“‹bringing together the leaders and the civil societies of the Mediterranean so that they can discuss together our common future.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ What he has proposed is to work to find, to resume the thread of a more inclusive, more open Mediterranean policy, in the continuation of previous initiatives, I think of the Barcelona Process and the Union for Mediterranean and this invitation you have answered beyond our expectations. And thanks to your answer, this new Mediterranean is not just a dream. The summit that brings us together today is therefore a momentous moment that has been prepared, Madam President Bouchamaoui has just recalled, through a series of forums that have been organized in Algiers, in Valletta, in Rabat, in Montpellier, in Palermo. In these thematic forums, the new cooperation paths have been sketched and also, I remind you, because there is a long history in the framework of the 5 + 5, the ministers concerned in their various forums have also been able to contribute to the strength of this initiative. I would like to add, of course, international organizations, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the OECD, and of course the European Unio

"I would also like to express my gratitude to our friends in Marseilles who have risen to the challenge, to salute Jean-Claude Gaudin who proposed from the beginning of this project to welcome us here, to greet the President Martine Vassal who comes to express myself a moment ago and Renaud Muselier who invited me twice in the past to Marseille to participate in meetings of the Mediterranean future, a form of anticipation of what is happening today in this new ensemble, which is marked by the Assembly of One Hundred Declaration and the fact that there was a very strong contribution from civil. What is the strength of this meeting is the method that is used. The real novelty lies in the decision to bring out concrete projects of civil society itself and the series of thematic forums, up to the "call of the Hundred", gives our meeting a very strong legitimacy. This will mean the need to continue with our commitments to a new ambition in the Mediterranean, commitments we signed last night, the relevant ministers of 5 + 5, and we agreed on a method to ensure that the declination these projects can be realized, because the challenge is the realization beyond the commitments that we have collectively initiated, that you have, Madam President, to formulate during the forum of Tunis. It is now important to implement it and the appointment will be that. Are we able collectively to translate into reality all the wishes expressed during the various forums we were able to organize?------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I would also like to stress that this method is also a method at the service of renewed multilateralism. No one is unaware of how threatened multilateralism is today. How much we make each other a priority to preserve and refound. But this multilateralism can not be the sole responsibility of the states. These are our common affairs. That is why I am one of those who want the new multilateralism to be more inclusive, more effective, with governments of course, but also with local authorities, NGOs, companies, the academic world, so that our meeting Today, the summit of both shores is also a contribution to the redefinition of multilateralism.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The method that has been used has led to the emergence of 260 innovative, original projects. Our Spanish colleague last night said it was a bunch of projects, dear Josep. And it is true that this dazzling and creative dispersion of the projects that have been selected is particularly stimulating. You have retained in Tunis about sixty projects out of the 260. And then I will not mention the 14 projects that we have chosen to highlight today. They deal with digital and artificial intelligence, the environment and sustainable development, urban development and the sustainable city, youth and education, culture, languages “‹“‹and much more. other questions yet. They show above all that there are convergences on both sides of the Mediterranean. Among the most emblematic projects, from my point of view, are the systematization of a "Mediterranean, new opportunity" program, which is close to the demands of the labor market; the creation of a network of schools of maritime trades on both shores, which will form our youths in the blue economy; the idea of “‹“‹a Euro-Arab House of Translation, which will allow us to get to know each other better and understand each other better; the launch of a plurilingual Mediterranean media, which can promote a positive image of our region, or the network of ancient theater festivals in the Mediterranean. All this is the "Mediterranean New Chance" program. There will be a diversity but also a deep coherence which, on the whole, makes it possible to reinforce solidarities between north and south." Jean Yves Le Drian acknowledges

This is something to rejoice in all that has been initiated and to ensure that the debates we will have in a moment are stimulating. I repeat, our major meeting, it will be the realization. The 5 + 5 ministers last night estimated their duty, at each meeting of 5 + 5, to check the progress of projects that have been initiated and discussed today. It is essential, but it will be as indispensable as any of us, we can, in our bodies, follow up. I would particularly like, finally, to thank our project manager, Ambassador Pierre Duquesne who has worked extensively with his team for this project, I would like to thank you very warmly and thank the President of COPIL I mentioned earlier Ms. Bouchamaoui, and also a small nod to our French president who has mobilized a lot, Ms. Ricard, for us to be this morning at this major meeting. Now room for debate, and place for reflection and proposal. Thank you for your welcome." Confused Jean Yves lE Drian French Minister of Foreign Affairs, as a preamble of the Sunmit to kicking off for two days in Marseille