9 June 2025, Nice. The Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), Nasser Kamel, took part in the Summit for a Connected Mediterranean held today in Nice. Organised under the auspices of the President of the French Republic, the summit gathered 21 heads of state and government from Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Gulf to strengthen cooperation on land, maritime, and digital connectivity. Key regional organisations such as the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council and major development banks including the EBRD, EIB, and World Bank were also in attendance alongside the UfM.

Secretary General Kamel emphasised the UfM’s strategic role in enhancing regional connectivity, fostering shared prosperity and stability across the Mediterranean region. “The UfM is the only intergovernmental organisation that brings together all Mediterranean countries on equal footing,” stated Secretary General Kamel. Highlighting the UfM’s commitment to sustainable development, Kamel announced the launch of three flagship projects under the Blue Mediterranean Partnership, aiming to mobilise over €1 billion by 2030 for investments in the sustainable blue economy. The projects include a wastewater treatment plant in East Alexandria (Egypt), Morocco’s first offshore wind farm near Essaouira, and a coral ecosystem restoration initiative in Aqaba (Jordan).

The Secretary General outlined UfM’s new strategy centred on connectivity — connecting economies through infrastructure, energy, and digital and green transitions, connecting countries through dialogue and resilience, and connecting people through promoting inclusion, gender equality, youth and education. He also discussed plans for the creation of a Mediterranean-Gulf cooperation hub to bolster investment, innovation, and sustainability partnerships.