Dear President Macron,

Dear King Abdullah,

Dear Heads of State or Government,

Thank you for hosting this Summit on a more connected Mediterranean. It could not come at a better moment.

As the first Commissioner for the Mediterranean, my goal is to unite the partners around the Mare Nostrum – both people and economies.

This focus on connectivity aligns perfectly with my mission at the European Commission.

Heres a quick overview of our current initiatives:

We are enhancing energy and data infrastructure through key projects such as:

• the ELMED electricity link connecting our shores, and
• the MEDUSA digital submarine fibre cable.

Additionally, we are backing

• the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) linking Israel, Cyprus, and Greece,
• the Greece-Egypt Interconnector (Gregy) to transport clean energy from Egypt to Greece and Europe, and
• the H2MED project, a green hydrogen corridor connecting Portugal, Spain, and France, potentially extending to North Africa.

I also want to reaffirm our strategic vision and support for the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

• This involves investments in ports, energy transmission, and digital infrastructure - spanning India, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Israel, and Jordan to Cyprus, Greece, and Italy.
• Thank you, dear Emanuel, for your ongoing support of Egypts accession to IMEC.

Through the Global Gateway, we are financing vital projects across North Africa and the Middle East including rail modernization, methanol for green shipping, renewable energy systems, and wastewater treatment.

By February 2025, EU support reached 5.9 billion Euro in this region.

This will mobilise up to 27.2 billion Euro in public and private investments with International Financial Institutions.

Looking ahead, my top priority is the New Pact for the Mediterranean – to be unveiled this fall. We are developing it with our partners from both shores.

It will focus on three areas:

• People,
• the economy, and
• peace, resilience, and security.

We are prioritizing people – investing in education, skills, and jobs, while promoting cultural exchange, sports, and tourism.

A flagship initiative of the economic pillar of the Pact is the Trans-Mediterranean Energy and Clean Tech Cooperation Initiative (T-MED).

Our renewable energy collaboration will yield multiple benefits:

- faster economic development and quality jobs, reducing youth unemployment in the Southern Mediterranean and addressing migration root causes,

- increased competitiveness,

- expedited decarbonization, and

- enhanced energy security for all parties.

We are also bolstering security cooperation – from disaster preparedness to combating smuggling – while creating more legal pathways for labor migration.

Lastly, regarding peace, I want to touch on Syria.

I visited last week with a message of hope and determination.

The resilience of the Syrian people deeply moved me.

We must support them – with ongoing recovery assistance, alongside the transition government and international partners.

In these uncertain global times, stronger connectivity serves as our bridge – connecting not just shores, but people, ideas, and values.

Let us traverse that bridge together, fostering equal partnership, shared values, and mutual respect.

Thank you.