Dear participants of the Bel Espoir Odyssey,
It is a great honour to address you today.
Let me congratulate you, first, on not only completing a great project.
You have accomplished a mission.
A true peace mission around the Mediterranean.
This is not a symbolic undertaking.
You have made your personal contribution to peace in the Mediterranean.
You have “sailed the talk”.
You are ambassadors of a culture of dialogue and mutual understanding – that wishes to overcome the logics of confrontation and the rigid defence of particular interests.
We have seen intense moments of armed conflict in the Middle East.
We have witnessed bloodshed and destruction, an escalation of war.
Thousands of lives lost.
Civilians who died whilst queueing for food.
So let us continue to work for a lasting peace.
Peace around the Mediterranean. Which we need so much.
Peace is the most fundamental precondition for humanity.
For people to live dignified lives.
We share the belief in humanity and Christian values.
With your odyssey you have made a strong contribution to humanity through dialogue and people-to-people contacts.
This is also what we are trying to do in the political arena through the Pact for the Mediterranean.
We are really making a shift – from the old thinking of the European Union only as donor and the South as receiver.
We want to be in a partnership of equals based on co-creation, co-ownership, and joint responsibility.
We are striving for sustainable development on all shores of the Mare Nostrum.
We want to protect the cultural and natural heritage.
And we want to promote prosperity and stability through more cooperation in the economic and security domains.
Opportunities for people.
Resilient and inclusive economies.
And security and peace for all.
This is our vision for the Mediterranean.
Thank you so much for your contribution and your engagement for peace.
