Jordan Times
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
King stresses role of UPM in
realising stability
AMMAN (JT) - His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday received Ahmad Masadeh, who was
appointed recently as secretary general of the nascent Union for the
Mediterranean (UPM).
King Abdullah congratulated Masadeh on his selection to the post and stressed
the importance of the union in realising peace, stability and growth in the
Mediterranean region, a Royal Court statement said.
His Majesty also emphasised the union’s significant role in creating
comprehensive partnerships among Euro-Mediterranean countries in economic,
social and cultural fields by implementing a series of pioneering development
projects.
Masadeh, formerly the Kingdom’s ambassador to the EU, Belgium, Norway and
Luxembourg as well as the Jordanian coordinator to the UPM and representative to
NATO, was selected in mid-January by a unanimous decision passed by the
permanent representatives of the union’s member states, and endorsed by their
foreign ministers later in the month.
In a speech following his selection, Masadeh said that establishing the
secretariat opens a new chapter in Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, pledging: “We
will build on the various achievements we have accomplished thus far in a manner
that promises to realise more closeness between the north and south of the
Mediterranean.”
The UPM, officially launched at the Paris summit in July 2008, groups 43
European, Middle Eastern and North African states, in addition to the European
Commission and the Arab League.
The union will hold its second summit in June in Barcelona to discuss enhancing
Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, and Masadeh is expected to start his work during
the next few weeks.