The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) discussed forms of cooperation during a meeting held at the PAM Headquarters in Malta on 2 November, 2011.
PAM Secretary General, Dr. Sergio Piazzi, accompanied by PAM Senior Adviser on Energy, Eng. Alessandro Ortis, welcomed Dr. Riccardo Puliti, Managing Director and Head of Energy and Natural Resources of the EBRD, with whom issues of interest for the Mediterranean region were tackled.
Dr. Piazzi explained the role that PAM has acquired in the region and referred to the many topics being dealt with together with the delegations and parliamentarians of the Assembly’s member states. PAM Secretary General also referred to the achievements obtained by the PAM Panel on External Trade and Investments in the Mediterranean, which is an ongoing process gaining further momentum in its operational strategy. Dr. Piazzi also invited Dr. Puliti to the forthcoming PAM international high-level conference on the “Development and integration of energy networks in the Mediterranean basin”, to be held in Naples, Italy on 17 November, 2011.
Dr. Puliti, on his part, gave an overview of the EBRD’s objectives and role, saying that the Bank is interested in financing projects, together with national and commercial partners, related to infrastructure transformation, such as water, waste management, airport terminals, ground transportation, and other specific priority projects of interest to each country, such as agricultural projects and marketing. “The EBRD has gained a lot of experience in Eastern Europe and Western Asia. We are now looking towards North Africa and the Middle East, and we consider PAM as the ideal partner, since it has in place an efficient network of relations with these countries”, Dr. Puliti said.
Dr. Piazzi and Dr. Puliti agreed to establish regular contacts and to have additional discussions on those issues of common interest, in order to draw up a plan of action which would lead to further infrastructure developments in the PAM region.