"The thawing of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) will boost the mobilization of civil society", declared André Azoulay, President of the Anna Lindh Foundation to Agence France Presse (AFP).

Welcoming the "relaunch of the political and cultural dialogue", frozen since the war in Gaza", A. Azoulay stressed that" dialogue forges the true backbone of the UfM and determines its legitimacy and its existence. "

According to Mr. Azoulay, Advisor to King Mohammed VI of Morocco, this dialogue comes to consolidate the new perspectives emerging in the region since the speech of the U.S. President Barack Obama pronounced in Cairo in early June.

Seen as a victim of the war in Gaza, the UfM is to overcome its first major test, with the agreement of the Arab countries to sit down again with Israel, despite some reservations.

The end of the crisis is expected officially on 7 July in Brussels during the meeting of the committee of high-representatives of 43 European, Mediterranean and Arab countries members of the Union.

"From this perspective, the Anna Lindh Foundation will start now to push for a greater mobilization of our civil societies," highlighted A.Azoulay.

Established by the members of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership to facilitate dialogue between people in the region, the Anna Lindh Foundation is actually coordinating a network of more than 2000 NGOs in 43 countries on both shores of the Mediterranean.

© Source AFP