Barroso: EU to push G8 for new partnership with Southern Mediterranean

The European Union will push for a new partnership with the Southern Mediterranean at the G8 summit in Deauville from 26-27 May, a European Commission press release said today. It is the first time that G8 leaders meet since the beginning of the transitions in the Arab world, and, among other issues, they will discuss how the G8 can support democratic aspirations in the European neighbourhood.

The European Union is represented at the G8 by the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy and the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso. Speaking ahead of the summit, President Barroso said: “The European Union will come to Deauville to push for a new partnership of the G8 with those neighbours in the Southern Mediterranean that have chosen the path of freedom and democracy. Europe has shown the way with its new Partnership for Democracy and Shared Prosperity and a revamped European Neighbourhood policy that is underpinned by €7 billion in financial support, €1.24 billion of which is fresh money.” President Van Rompuy said the summit would address the most relevant and urgent issues of the day: in particular the state of the global economy and the developments in Northern Africa and the Middle East. “The G8, as a group, has the critical mass to lead the way on major global issues,” he said. 

The main topics to be discussed by G8 leaders in Deauville are: the developments in the Middle East and North Africa, nuclear safety, the Internet, the world economy, including trade, green growth and innovation, peace and security issues, development accountability and the G8 Partnership with Africa. 

The Summit will start on Thursday, 26 May, with the official welcome of Leaders. Different working sessions of G8 leaders and outreach sessions with partners from Africa and the Arab world are scheduled. Leading business representatives will participate in parts of the discussion on the Internet. A bilateral meeting of President Barroso and President Van Rompuy with the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt is scheduled, too. The G8 members are: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union.