The Minister for Foreign Action and European Union, Meritxell Serret i Aleu, is on an institutional trip to Croatia, where this morning in Dubrovnik, accompanied by the Government of Catalonia’s delegate to Southeastern Europe, Eric Hauck, she met with the President of Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Nikola Dobroslavić. They were able to discuss the objectives of the Summit for the Mediterranean Macroregion organised by the Government of Catalonia this Friday in Barcelona, with more than 60 participants from European institutions, international organisations, and representatives of governments from 12 Mediterranean regions and a total of 7 states.

Serret and Dobroslavić agreed on the need for the European Union to take the necessary steps to advance in the formalisation of the Mediterranean macroregion “so that it becomes a reality as soon as possible.” “We acknowledge that it is necessary to take this step forward,” Serret insisted, a gesture that “we also want to formalise this Friday in Barcelona at the summit, to articulate the request and convey it to the European institutions.” The Minister for Foreign Action pointed out that “it is up to the Council of the European Union to kick-start the proposal so that it can finally be approved” and become a recognised political framework by European institutions.

Dobroslavić, author of a document advocating for the Mediterranean macroregion sent to the Committee of the Regions, conveyed his support for Friday’s summit in Barcelona and emphasised that “we need collaboration in the Mediterranean” in the face of, he said, the “dangers” caused by the climate crisis that “we can only face by working together.” “We will work together to push the initiative of the Mediterranean macroregion forward and make it a reality”, Dobroslavić assured.