New findings unveiled at 43 Country Dialogue Forum in Barcelona underline the support of people and civil society of the Region in favour of a Union for the Mediterranean.

5th March 2010: In the city of Barcelona, where the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership was founded in 1995 and which, from today, is home to the new Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean, 1000 civil society from the 43 Partner Countries gathered for the launch of the first Anna Lindh Forum for intercultural dialogue.

Speaking at the opening of the official inauguration, Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said:

“Since 1995 we have been working towards a dream. A dream to create a common space of peace and exchange. Today´s gathering of people from across the Region, along with the launch of the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean, represents a historic moment in that process.”

The first morning of the Forum began with a debate on initial findings of the ´Anna Lindh-Gallup Poll´ on intercultural trends which has been carried out for the first time with over 13,000 people in sample countries of the Union for the Mediterranean, revealing among other things that the majority of people are in favour of Mediterranean cooperation.

Andre Azoulay, President of the Anna Lindh Foundation said:

“This unique work on the very first Report on Euro-Mediterranean Intercultural Trends, reinforced by the presence here in Barcelona of many hundreds civil society representatives from all 43 countries of the Partnership, shows us that a Union for the Mediterranean is a reality.

The full findings of the Anna Lindh Report, which also has a thematic focus on the role of media in shaping public perceptions, will be published in June, with the very first survey on intercultural trends in the Euro-Mediterranean Region, and with a perspective to act as a monitor intercultural trends through regular editions every two years.