CEMO seminar on sticky issues in relations between two banks of the Mediterranean

The Center for Middle East Studies in Paris (CEMO), headed by renowned journalist, Dr Abdel Rahim Ali will hold a seminar on problems in relations between countries on the two banks of the Mediterranean.

The seminar will be held on the occasion of the two banks of the Mediterranean summit, which will be held on June 23 and 24, in Marseilles under the auspices of French President Emmanuel Macron.

On the occasion of the summit of the two banks of the Mediterranean under the auspices of President Macron; CEMO would seize this marvelous French opportunity to open all the hot issues in this regard.

The center would launch a seminar that coincides with the summit on the next Monday to touch upon the topics which contaminate the historical neighborhood amongst the nations of the two banks of the Mediterranean…Originally it is a Latin name meant the sea that runs in the middle of the lands.

The seminar will be held under the title of The Mediterranean… Numerous struggles, few dreams. It will take place at Chaiux hall at Prince de Galle hotel in Paris on the next Monday.

Apart from the Arab-Israeli conflict, which opens the door wide for violence, the Arab Spring has had catastrophic effects.

The wave of terrorism, which has already moved from the southern bank of the Mediterranean to its northern bank, makes it necessary for Europeans to understand that they can no longer treat the enemies of freedom as pro-democracy groups or organizations.

Immigration, environmental pollution and education as problems make it necessary for Mediterranean states to hold dialogue and also find suitable solutions to these problems.

Macron’s initiative derives its power after the success of the Barcelona initiative (November 1995) launched by former President Nicolas Sarkozy under the name of the Union for the Mediterranean.

Our meeting today is only an attempt to put forward a package of ideas designed only to contribute to the dialogue that will take place immediately after the conclusion of the Summit.

The French writer Albert Camus said, it does not really matter what route you take, but what is important is your desire to get there.

Our common destiny inevitably requires us to have the desire to get a permanent and common dialogue.

Here is the program of the seminar:   

Seminar program

8:45 – Arrival of attendees and guests

9:00 – Welcome by CEMO Executive Director, Dr Ahmed Youssef

9:10 – Speech by CEMO Director-General, Dr Abdel Rahim Ali on movement of terrorism from the south to the north and opportunities for counterterrorism cooperation between Egypt and Europe

9:30 – Speech by Pierre Branda, a leading historian specialized in the history of the empire. The speech will be titled, “Memory of the Mediterranean as a source of dispute and the basis of a common heritage between the two banks.

9:45 – Speech by Pierre Berthelot, a researcher at the European Institute for Orientalism and Security and an advisor at the Mediterranean Studies Institute. The speech will be titled, “Water disputes in the Mediterranean Basin: causes and solutions”.

10:00 – Speech by Roland Lombardi, a specialist in Middle East geopolitical studies. The speech will be titled, “Urgent need for changing nature of relations between north and south within the framework of the military spring”.

10:15 – Speech by Dr Ahmed Youssef. The speech will be titled, “Sansimonion in Egypt: Toward an ideal Arab-European world”.

10:30 – Questions and answers in presence of Dr Abdel Rahim Ali