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Torino and the Presidency of Euromed

Torino is historically a city with a close relationship with the Mediterranean and has always actively cooperated with cities in the area. In 1999 it took part in the EUROCITIES Euromed Working Group and in 2004 it presented, flanked by the vice presidents Jdeidè for Mashrek and Mahdia for Maghreb, its candidature to succeed the City of Bordeaux in the presidency of Euromed. On June 26th in Mahdia (Tunisia) during the meeting of the Euromed Working Group, at which the Mayor Chiamparino was present, Torino was elected to the biennial presidency 2005-2006.
The election has given Torino a leading role in the process of involving local institutions in the Euromediterranean decision-making processes. Euromed comes within the framework of the Euromediterranean Partnership signed during the Euromediterranean Conference on November 28th 1995 in Barcelona (and for this reason called the Barcelona Process). The Euromediterranean Partnership is a political agreement signed by the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the EU and of the 12 countries in the Mediterranean area (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Palestinian Authorities, Libya, Syria, Turkey, Cyprus and Malta). .

The principal objectives of the European Partnership are:

The Euromediteranean cooperation has the ultimate objective of strengthening an area of political and economic stability in the Mediterranean region, a fundamental condition for promoting the process of peace in the Middle East.
The EUROCITIES Euromed Working Group acts through decentralized cooperation projects, to strengthen the relationships between the cities of the UE and the Mediterranean countries. Euromed promotes contacts and exchanges of experiences between the cities, the diffusion of the best management systems for the urban situation, support for local development, emphasising the training of specialized human resources and respect for local realities.
In this framework, during 2005 the City of Turin has encouraged the creation of "Paralleli – North-Western Euro-Mediterranean Institut". It is the expression of a territorial system where Piedmont represents the hub of a wider area, from Milan to Genes and southwards including Nice, Marseille and Barcelona. The "Paralleli" institute aims at proposing its active role in developing the Euro-Mediterranean partnership.
During the last meeting of the EUROCITIES Euromed Working Group held in Torino from the 8th to the 10th November 2006, the City of of Marseille succeeded the City of Torino as Chair of the Euromed Working Group whereas the City of Fès (Morocco) has been appointed as new Vice Chair for the Maghreb and the City of Jdéidé (Lebanon) has been confirmed as Vice Chair for the Middle East. On the occasion of the end of its term, the City of Torino prepared a report of the activities carried out over the last two years.

Meetings

Informations and activities




Text written by The International Affairs Service. For more information international.affairs@comune.torino.it