Dear President of the Congreso,
Dear President of the Senado,
Dear Speakers of parliaments,

Thank you for the invitation to speak today.

We are in a crisis in the Middle East with significant challenges for the stability of the wider region.
De-escalation and diplomacy must be our priority.
I again call on all parties to take responsibility and show maximum restraint.

The Union for the Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly can play an important role in peacebuilding and fostering cooperation.
It is an indispensable forum for dialogue.
Your exchanges promote mutual understanding and the benefits of working together across the region.
In times of global uncertainty, enhanced cooperation along the shores of the Mare Nostrum can indeed create an area of sustainable prosperity and stability.

A crucial element in strengthening our cooperation is the New Pact for the Mediterranean – which I will present this autumn.
The European Union and the Southern Neighbourhood countries in North Africa, the Middle East, and the Gulf are building it together in a partnership of equals.

The Pact will focus on three priorities:
• People,
• Clean and sustainable economies, and thirdly
• Peace, resilience, and security, including migration.

We are putting people at the center.
We want to invest in higher education, vocational training, and jobs.
We are also promoting cultural exchange, sports, and tourism.
With the creation of the Med University Network, we can lay the foundation for cutting-edge skills development across the board.

And through clean-tech projects, such as the Trans-Mediterranean Energy and Clean Tech Cooperation Initiative, we can create the quality jobs needed for sustainable growth and vibrant economies.

With the Pact, we are also enhancing cooperation on security – from disaster preparedness to combating human smuggling – while opening more legal pathways for labor migration and strengthening our Talent Partnerships.

To conclude, I want to emphasize one point:
Youth is crucial to us.

I am pleased to hear that my proposal for a Youth Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean – made at our gathering in April in Granada – is now being discussed more widely among a range of interested stakeholders.
Together, we can make this a concrete and valuable reality for our youth, giving them a voice in their present and future.

I wish you a successful Summit and look forward to our future cooperation.