Abu-Ghazaleh Founding Chairman of La Verticale Discusses with European and African Leaders Regional Cooperation

AMMAN- HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Founding Chairman and Vice President of Africa Med Europa Verticale Foundation (La Verticale AME) said that Europe and Africa, with the Mediterranean as a bridge between them, are historically linked and destined to be so forever in every way.

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh, speaking during a video conference call initiated by HE Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker, former European Union President and Honorary President of La Verticale AME stressed that “Our objective is to promote the integration of the three regions, Africa, Med and Europe (hence AME) into an intercontinental area of cooperation through sectorial integration, for the prosperity of all AME countries.”

The online meeting was attended by 30 high-profile “Wise Persons” group of European and African “Wise persons,” including Presidents of  Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Senegal and former presidents of Italy and Germany and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain in addition to others.

According to Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh, the Foundation will target key sectors including Innovation, Education, Smart Cities, Clean Energy, Environment, Information Technology, Food Security and Health, Pharmaceuticals and Communication as a commitment to support all aspects of the relations between the three regions.

 “Cooperation between equal-minded members, sector by sector can achieve better results for all, away from political disputes and above them. We can build on the success of, and parallel to the Belt & Road Initiative of China, a multi-lateral, intra-regional, interactive sectorial cooperation mechanism for the benefit of billions of people in our three regions and for the world,” Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh said. 

With the aim of promoting the integration between Africa, the Mediterranean and Europe and linking the European and African continents through the Mediterranean, La Verticale AME was established in Brussels to orchestrate a new dawn for thoughts, values and partnerships as one of the programs of the Mediterranean World Economic Foresight Institute (IPEMED), a Euro-Mediterranean Think Tank.

The Foundation with Ms. Elisabeth Guigou as its president aims to be a place of prospective reflection on Euro-African relations and a space to put forward tangible proposals and, as much as possible, consensual between the European Union, the African Union and heads of States, defend the general interest of this great AME region, and the idea that the Mediterranean should be a hub between Europe and Africa and bring together the private sector, public institutions and NGOs.

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh who was unanimously elected as the President of the Business Leaders Council, which functions under the umbrella of La Verticale, stated, “Through sectorial intra-regional cooperation we can achieve more success economically, socially and in any other way.”

The Foundation gained the support of European and African former and current leaders who believe that a new partnership between Africa and Europe with the Mediterranean as a bridge is crucial today more than ever.