Ongoing activities and future cooperation discussed by French and US diplomats in bilateral meetings with PAM Secretary General

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MEDIA INFORMATION: 55/2012
ISSUED ON: 04/10/2012

A wide range of current issues related to the Mediterranean region were discussed during two bilateral meetings held at PAM Headquarters, in Malta, on 2 October 2012, by PAM Secretary General, Amb. Sergio Piazzi with French Ambassador to Malta, H.E. Michel Vanderpoorter, and the Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in Malta, Mr. Michael DeTar, respectively.

Recent developments in the Middle East and Syria, as well as the preparations for PAMs participation at the 5+5 Dialogue meeting in Malta (5-6 October 2012), in its capacity as the groups parliamentary dimension, and the priority areas to be debated at the upcoming PAM Plenary Session in Malta on 12-13 October, 2012, were among the main topics discussed.

Amb. Piazzi expressed the Assemblys full appreciation to the leading role played by the French National Parliamentary delegation to PAM, which ensures a continuous input to PAM key events and discussions. The PAM Secretary General also underlined the fruitful cooperation with the French diplomacy, a true model of how synergies can be found and strengthened between parliamentary and traditional diplomacy”, Amb. Piazzi said.

On his part, the French Ambassador underlined the importance of governance in the Southern Mediterranean and said that currently the French government is particularly committed to this aspect in view of the funding of a large project aimed at tackling this issue.

Trade facilitation, renewable energy and investments in infrastructure, relations with UNESCO and FAO, and other Euromediterranean institutions, such as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the EBRD, were highlighted during the meeting.

With the US Embassy diplomats, the long standing cooperation between the US Administration and PAM was discussed. Amb. Piazzi recalled the regular meetings with US Congressmen and Senators held each year in Washington on the occasion of PAMs participation, as an Observer, at the UN General Assembly and also with US Ambassadors in New York and Geneva. The US Congress was also involved in the IPU-CSCM negotiations process which led to the establishment of PAM in 2006.

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Other issues raised included the role of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean in the Libyan conflict and the Assemblys support to the UN-League of Arab States Joint Special Representative to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi and UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, the UN Secretary Generals Personal Representative to the PLO and the Palestinian Authority, H.E. Robert Serry. “In this regard PAM remains the only forum where the Israeli and Palestinian delegations continue to meet at the highest level with constructive exchange on this process”, Amb. Piazzi said.

The US delegation, on its part, expressed particular interest in the activities under the PAM Panel for External Trade and Investments in the Mediterranean, particularly in such sectors as job creation and unemployment, SMEs and investments in the energy sector. They appreciated the accomplishments of the recent conference on Energy held in Ouarzazate (Morocco), which called upon PAM to coordinate the establishment of a Mediterranean Community of Energy, aimed at gathering all the stakeholders, including Parliaments, governments, the industry and investors.

The two meetings were concluded with the renewed invitation to both Embassies to participate at the 7th PAM Plenary Session, which will be hosted in Malta by the House of Representatives, on 12-13 October 2012.

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