Civil society dialogue crucial for Baltic-Mediterranean cooperation

Historical events shaking up North African countries and the Middle East create new opportunities for cooperation in the Baltic-Mediterranean framework. Several experts on regional cooperation from the Baltic Sea and Mediterranean regions gathered in Finland on April 4th-5th to discuss these issues at the seminar "Baltic-Mediterranean Axis: A New Framework for Cooperation?”. Practical ideas and tools for developing dialogue and cooperation among civil society actors were presented by the thematic working groups. “Arab uprisings offer an opportunity to challenge stereotypes regarding our vision of the Mediterranean and the Arabs and to put an end to the distorted perceptions which have affected dialogue between Western and Arab societies”, stated Anna Lindh Foundation’s Executive Director, Andreu Claret, in his opening speech.

Practical tools to develop cooperation between Baltic and Mediterranean societies were discussed in three thematic working groups focusing on environment, mobility and culture. The ideas from the working groups provide a good starting point for the future development of Baltic-Mediterranean cooperation, concluded Secretary General of the Finnish NGDO Platform to the EU, Kehys, Rilli Lappalainen. It is evident that the two regions are facing many common challenges, and further cooperation is important in providing solutions as well as making the voice of the civil society better heard.

The uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East have made it an urgent task for all actors to re-evaluate old cooperation models, and civil society should have a central role when planning future cooperation. The message of the seminar was that Baltic-Mediterranean axis has potential to become one of the frameworks for this cooperation: if we want it, now is the time to act.

For further information, visit our online discussion portal Baltic-Mediterranean Axis: A New Framework for Cooperation? at http://balticmed.wordpress.com/.

The seminar was organised by the Finnish NDGO Platform to the EU, Kehys, together with Tampere Peace Research Institute and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Information provided by Pauliina Räty, Kehys