More than 1.2 billion people lived in that area that Ambassador Westendorp considered a priority for the EU. He summarized his intervention in the high level meeting “Beyond pupulism: Economic Challenges and Opportunities in Democratic Transitions” (Rabat, Morocco 5-6 February) in two value judgements: “Regional integration is good for all; therefore an integrated MENA region must be an EU priority.. In this sense he explained what the organization can offer to the region: “The Club de Madrid, comprising more than 90 heads of state and government democratically elected and committed to the support, in an independent manner, to democratic values and democracies in transition, firmly believes in the huge benefits that the AMU will entail for the MENA region and for Europe and therefore offers itself to raise awareness of this fact and advocate for the necessary conditions to create a political and economic area encompassing both shores of the Mediterranean and more than 1.2 billion people”.This meeting was organized by five of the UN regional conventions, incluing the Economic and Social Commision for Western Asia
Read here Carlos Westendordp full speech
