WALTER SCHWIMMER Segretario Generale del Consiglio d'Europa Strasburgo,
22 aprile 2003
Dear
President,
I
am writing to you a very difficult time for peace and stability in the
Middle East and a Troubled time also for our continent often torn between
seemingly irreconcilable positions. I know that you are a firm believer in
dialogue and co-operation across cultures involving institutions as well as
civil society forces from Arab and Mediterranean countries as a key
instrument to fight prejudice and violence.
I
followed with interest the decision of the Euro-Mediterranean conference in
Valencia last April to create the “Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for
dialogue between cultures and civilisations” which will also work towards
the establishment of a free trade area by 2010. No doubt the Foundation, in
order to obtain tangible results, will have to rely, inter alia, on the work
of organisations already active in this field.
In
this context, I would particularly like draw your attention to the
impressive work carried out by the “Maison de la Méditerranée” based
in Naples, established by the Fondazione Laboratorio Mediterraneo, in
co-operation with the Campania Region and the Italian Parliament, which I
visited last month during my official visit to Italy.
The
“Maison de la Méditerranée” under the leadership of its Director
Michele Capasso, aims at fostering dialogue between societies and cultures
in the Euro-Mediterranean region and has already developed a vast network of
partners including all the governments of the countries concerned.
Given
its long record of successful initiatives and its key positions in the heart
of the Mediterranean, I believe the “Maison de la Méditerranée”
deserves all our support and encouragement in becoming a closer partner for
both our institutions in the promotion of inter-cultural dialogue.
|