BUSINESSMED represented by its President, Mr. Jacques Jean Sarraf, its General Secretary, Mrs. Jihen Boutiba Mrad and and a Mediterranen Delegation, attended the Rome Med2016 – Mediterranean Dialogues, which took place in Rome from December 1^st to December 3^rd 2016. The conference, promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ISPI offered the opportunity to debate on the ongoing transformations in the extended Mediterranean region, with a view to drafting a positive agenda by providing viable policy options.

Over 500 leaders in business, politics and culture from 55 countries attended Rome MED 2016 in the three-day conference focused on 4 pillars: shared security, shared prosperity, migration, civil society and culture.

During the first day that was officially opened by the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Paolo Gentiloni, the discussions revolved around new strategies to foster security in the region, both by addressing the root causes of extremism and implementing innovative tools to fight violent radicalism.

BUSINESSMED’s delegation was welcomed in the evening by the President of the Italian Republic, Mr. Sergio Mattarella at Quirinale Palace, in the presence of eminent institutional personalities.

During the second day, Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov and US Secretay of State John Kerry opened the session and shared their views on crucial challenges for the Mediterranean region. The policy forums organized by MED scientific partners (Bruegel, Chatham House, DGAP, ECFR, EUI, IFRI and ISPI) focused on the role of civil society, sectarianism and religious intolerance, innovative economic models, investments in the region and clean energy. In the plenary sessions of the afternoon, political leaders, high–level scholars and representatives of the business community discussed viable options on migration, energy and economic growth to turn current challenges into opportunities.

In that context, Mrs. Saida Neghza, BUSINESSMED’s Vice-President and CGEA’s President, took part in the Session entitled “Women and Youth:

Building Bridges for growth”. In her contribution, she underlined that women have become the heroines and the actresses for the change in the Southern Mediterranean Countries. She also added that it is more than necessary to reinforce the role of the women in the region that  represents not only a sign of respect, dignity and gender equality, but also the right path for the socio-economic development of the area.

The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Paolo Gentiloni and Giorgio Napolitano, Honorary ISPI President, gave the closing speeches. They pointed out that a new era of shared security, prosperity and culture can start in the Mediterranean if all the actors involved in the region do not surrender to turmoil.

The three-day conference was a unique opportunity for BUSINESSMED to share a common vision for the future of the region, promoting sustainable development based on know-how, the networking of knowledge and competences in order to face the many challenges of free-trade and globalization.