During his chairmanship of the Forum’s opening session, Abou El-Enein declared:
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No economic cooperation is possible without addressing the burning crises in the Middle East.
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We thank President El-Sisi for rejecting the forced-displacement plan and for upholding the Palestinian people’s right to their independent state.
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The Sharm El-Sheikh Summit laid out a clear roadmap and succeeded in halting the war on Gaza.
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We call on world nations to pressure Israel to achieve a comprehensive peace.
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Sudan, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Syria, Lebanon, and Libya are all on the Forum’s agenda.
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Egypt’s principles are unequivocal: No displacement… No liquidation… No genocide.
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UN resolutions have reaffirmed the rights of the Palestinian people, and we welcome any support for those rights.
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Stopping the war is essential — the time has come for reconstruction and the revival of the peace process.
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The decisions of the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit are binding — the Palestinian cause is a global issue, not merely a regional one.
The Egyptian House of Representatives hosted the sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM) Forum under Egypt’s presidency, with wide participation from parliamentary delegations representing countries from both shores of the Mediterranean. The Forum was launched under the chairmanship of MP Mohamed Abou El-Enein, Deputy Speaker of the Egyptian House of Representatives and President of the PA-UfM, marking the 30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process.
The meetings convened with high-level participation from Speakers of Parliament, official spokespersons from Europe and the Arab world, and senior officials from regional and international organisations.
The Forum discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation between the two shores of the Mediterranean.
The PA-UfM expanded bureau also held a meeting to discuss the Forum’s agenda, alongside preparatory meetings for the Assembly’s five committees:
• The Committee on Political Affairs, Security, and Human Rights
• The Committee on Economic and Financial Affairs, Social Affairs, and Education
• The Committee on Women’s Rights in Euro-Mediterranean Countries
• The Committee on Energy, Environment, and Water
• The Committee on Improving Quality of Life and Strengthening Civil and Cultural Exchanges
These discussions reaffirmed the vital role of parliamentary dialogue in strengthening Euro-Mediterranean partnership as a bridge for human and civilisational connection among the peoples of the region.
Abou El-Enein Welcomes Delegations and Highlights Egypt’s Leadership
In his opening remarks, MP Mohamed Abou El-Enein welcomed the participants of the Forum and the Speakers’ Summit, held under the theme:
“Promoting Economic Cooperation Between the Two Shores of the Mediterranean: Revitalising the Barcelona Process on Its 30th Anniversary.”
Chairing the session titled “Strengthening Cooperation Between the Two Shores of the Mediterranean… Revitalising the Barcelona Process Thirty Years On”, Abou El-Enein stressed that economic cooperation cannot advance without first tackling the region’s acute crises, affirming that Egypt has always been at the forefront of efforts to resolve regional conflicts.
He expressed deep appreciation for President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s firm rejection of forced displacement of the Palestinian people and his unwavering commitment to their right to establish an independent state.
Abou El-Enein also highlighted the outcomes of the Egyptian-American Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, which outlined an actionable roadmap — parts of which have already succeeded in halting the war on Gaza, with further steps currently underway.
He emphasized that Egypt is calling on the international community to intensify pressure on Israel to achieve a comprehensive peace.
Regional Crises on the Forum’s Agenda
Abou El-Enein noted that the Forum’s discussions encompass the escalating crisis in Sudan and the urgent need for a ceasefire, the challenges surrounding Nile-water security and unilateral Ethiopian measures, as well as the situations in Syria, Lebanon, and Libya.
He stressed that Egypt continues to shoulder the burdens of the region’s crises and plays an essential mediating role in conflict resolution. He reiterated Egypt’s unwavering principles:
No displacement.
No liquidation.
No genocide.
He affirmed that the Palestinian cause cannot be resolved at the expense of another nation’s land or the rights of the Egyptian people.
Abou El-Enein underscored that recent UN resolutions have reaffirmed the Palestinian people’s right to establish and be recognized as a state, welcoming all international efforts that support this legitimate right.
He added that stopping the war was a necessary step, as there is no victor in such a conflict — only destruction and loss of life. The time has come, he said, to launch reconstruction and revive serious diplomatic efforts toward peace.
Abou El-Enein stressed the importance of fully implementing the decisions of the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit, noting that they are binding and inescapable. He reaffirmed that the Palestinian cause is not a regional matter alone but a global cause, as the world united in demanding an end to the war and a return to reason and dialogue.
The Speaker of Egypt’s House of Representatives, Counsellor Dr. Hanafi Gebaly, is scheduled to deliver an address on Saturday during the Forum’s opening session, presenting Egypt’s efforts and vision for enhancing Euro-Mediterranean partnership amid the political, economic, and social challenges facing the region.
Last September, the PA-UfM convened in Sharm El-Sheikh under Egyptian presidency led by MP Mohamed Abou El-Enein. In its final communiqué, the Assembly expressed deep concern over the situation in Gaza, condemned Israeli violations, rejected displacement policies, and affirmed its strong support for Egypt’s initiative to hold an international conference on Gaza’s reconstruction once a ceasefire is firmly established. The Assembly also welcomed the UN’s endorsement of the two-state solution.
