The Secretary General of the UfM met with the Mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias, to discuss further cooperation between the institution and its host city.
Barcelona-The Secretary General of the UfM, Youssef Amrani, expressed his gratitude for the strong support of Barcelona to the Euro Mediterranean process in general and to the UfM in particular, during a meeting held at the Municipality of Barcelona. Amrani stated that Barcelona has always played a unique role in the Mediterranean relations since the Barcelona Summit in 1995, which continues to be a milestone in the Mediterranean political relations in the region.

The Secretary General and the Mayor exchanged views on the situation of the organisation, taken into consideration the recent developments due to the Arab spring.

The Mayor of Barcelona highlighted the importance of hosting the premises of the UfM for Barcelona City, and reiterated the will of the city to continue playing a central role in the Euro Mediterranean process as the Mediterranean Capital.

The Secretary General and the Mayor discussed new cooperation possibilities between the city and the UfM, and agreed on the importance of boosting the role of the cities in this new context.

Mr. Youssef Amrani stressed that the UfM will give a major importance to local cooperation and encouraged the Mayor to actively take part in the next Ministerial Conference of the UfM focused on urban development which will take place in Strasbourg the next 9th and 10th November.

The Mayor Trias expressed the Municipality’s continuous commitment to the success of the UfM, and added that he is ready to assist in projects that will develop the work of the UfM.