Dear President Macron,

Dear King Abdullah,

Dear Heads of State or Government,

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

My mission as first Commissioner for the Mediterranean is to bring the partners around the Mare Nostrum closer together – the people and the economies alike.

This is why the focus on connectivity is fully aligned with my mission at the European Commission.

Let me briefly outline what we are doing already:

We are improving energy and data infrastructure with flagship projects such as:

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

In addition, we are supporting

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

Let me also (join you in) reaffirming our strategic vision and practical support for the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

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

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

By February 2025, the European Union support reached 5.9 billion Euro, in this region.

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

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

It will be based on three areas:

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

We are putting people first – investing in higher education, skills, and jobs, and promoting cultural exchange, sport, and tourism.

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

Our cooperation on renewables will deliver multiple wins:

-      faster economic development and more quality jobs thus lowering unemployment rates among young people in the Southern Mediterranean and fighting root causes of migration,

-      greater competitiveness,

-      faster decarbonisation, and

-      more security in energy supply for all sides.

We are also strengthening cooperation on security – from disaster preparedness to fighting smuggling – while opening more legal pathways for labour migration.

Finally, on peace, let me briefly mention Syria.

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

I was deeply moved by the resilience of the Syrian people.

We must stand by them – with step-by-step support for recovery, together with the transition government and international partners.

In a time of global uncertainty, stronger connectivity is our bridge – not only between shores, but between people, ideas, and values.

Let us walk that bridge together, with equal partnership, shared values, and mutual respect.

Thank you.