(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency) Amman, Oct. 6 (Petra) -- Deputy Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Sudqi Al-Omoush, and Thomas Silberhorn, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Thursday signed a joint declaration between the UfM and the BMZ to enhance cooperation, create jobs and increase trade volume in the Euro-Mediterranean region. A UfM statement issued Friday said that in a first phase of the partnership, the BMZ will support the UfM Secretariat with a two million euro advisory project for the years 2017-2019.
The statement said with this joint declaration the both sides enter into a stronger partnership that seeks to push forward regional integration, support the creation of a wide range of employment opportunities, in particular for young women and men, and boost trade within the region and beyond.
"We must put greater emphasis again on viewing the Mediterranean as an area of cooperation. In order to achieve security and development, a strong partnership is needed between Europe and Africa. Our common goal must be to open up opportunities for a good common future for the many young people in North Africa, the Middle East and Europe. The Union for the Mediterranean provides a good basis for this," said Parliamentary State Secretary Thomas Silberhorn.
"The Union for the Mediterranean is an action-oriented organisation designed to build and operationalise a positive agenda for the region. The agreement with the BMZ is a concrete and substantial contribution to UfM activities and overall regional efforts towards the three strategic objectives of human development, stability and integration," said Sudqi Al-Omoush, UfM Deputy Secretary General for Business Development.
The two parties exchanged views on the current challenges of the region, including unemployment and migration. Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries face high rates of unemployment, especially among young people, and low inclusion of women in the labour market. At the same time, enhancing regional integration and trade within the Euro-Mediterranean region would create favourable conditions for greater economic growth and prosperity, added the statement.
The UfM has placed youth empowerment and job creation at the core of its Mediterranean Initiative for Jobs (Med4Jobs). By joining forces, the UfM and the BMZ seek to scale up these efforts to create better and long-term prospects for the people in the region.
6/10/2017 - 05:18:34 PM
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