Security Cooperation in the Mediterranean

Vision from South

Resumo

The Euro-Mediterranean cooperation project based on the Barcelona Declaration in 1995 was a culmination of a number of important events including the peace process in the Middle East and the Gulf War of 1999. Southern countries give more weight for territorial conflicts and strategic imbalance between Israel and its neighbors and between North and South as important challenges facing security cooperation in the Mediterranean. Perceptions on EU new defense policies, NATO new strategies and the common threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Ballistic Missiles represent additional challenges for cooperation. Short-term cooperation perspective in the Euro-Mediterranean includes resolution of regional conflicts, signing and implementation of the security Charter and maritime cooperation. Long term vision focuses on survival issues like food, water, environmental security and energy. Current cooperation activities extend to different security dialogue forums between North and South, peacekeeping and joint military exercise regularly staged in the Mediterranean. Boosting security cooperation in the Mediterranean requires redefining of priorities towards solving current crisis in the Middle East to pave the way for more stable political environment in the region.