Amman, Nov. 19 (Petra) – Assistant to the Senate President, Senator Suhair Ali, stated on Wednesday that the Mediterranean region holds genuine opportunities to enhance economic integration, underlining the importance of regional economic cooperation and public-private partnerships.

Her remarks came during her remarks at the main session of the General Assembly of the Association of Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME) in Barcelona, Spain, which comprises over 300 chambers of commerce and industry.

Ali participated in her capacity as Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) and Chair of its Committee on Economic and Environmental Cooperation. She highlighted the strong relationship between PAM and ASCAME as a successful model of public-private partnership and stressed the importance of parliamentary cooperation in achieving financial integration and sustainable development.

She also spoke about the upcoming parliamentary event in Cairo, Egypt, in December, focusing on the "Blue Economy" to strengthen integration between the private sector and parliamentarians in Mediterranean countries.

During the session, the "Barcelona Declaration" was announced, emphasizing the private sector’s role in gender equality and youth empowerment, climate adaptation, resilient infrastructure, innovative finance, regional security, and alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ali participated in the Euro-Mediterranean Economic and Business Forum, addressing challenges faced by Mediterranean industrial chains and noting opportunities for economic integration despite obstacles such as declining commitment to SDGs, poverty, environmental and geopolitical crises, and trade barriers. She said PAM aims to explore a Mediterranean free trade area and the establishment of a regional development bank or fund.

The new European pact seeks to strengthen cooperation between the European Union and southern Mediterranean countries, including Jordan, through initiatives focused on people, economy, and security. More than 100 initiatives are expected to be launched alongside meetings of foreign ministers from the region and the European Union at the end of November.

//Petra// AJ