Euro-Mediterranean political and security dialogue : what prospects?

Abstract

Within the Mediterranean region there exist a vast array of potential and actual security problems: disputed boundaries, water shortage, nuclear and chemical weapon proliferation, terrorism., nationalist and separatist grievances and demographic imbalance. These problems are further accentuated by the differences - political, economic, social cultural and strategic, which exist on either side of the North-South divide. Indeed, the Mediterranean region emerges with possibly more geopolitical flashpoints than any other ·region of comparable size. As a result the last decade has seen a flurry of activities and initiatives aimed at creating a means of co-operation and dialogue among participating Mediterranean States. The extent of participation within such initiatives has varied from a more limited form as in the West Mediterranean Forum. "5 + 5 talks" (1990), to the more extensive participation seeking to include all Mediterranean Partners, as in the proposal, for the setting up of a Council of the Mediterranean (1992), the launching of a CSCM (1990), and the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership process (1995). Of these proposals the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership process was the most successful, in that, it was not only set up, but continues to function, even though its progress has not reached the extent that most participating states desire or anticipated. This is reflected in the failure of the Partnership to adopt the Charter for Security and Stability in the Mediterranean. Such failure is essentially due to the current crisis in the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP). A form of Euro Mediterranean dialogue is however needed in political and security matters, if we are to prevent the Mediterranean and its surrounding regions from. becoming a zone of conflict as opposed to one of peace. The success in such a set-up will depend however, on the extent to which Europe and its partners in the region succeed in bridging the North-South divide and establishing a degree of confidence between the two sides of the Mediterranean region.