Chronologies Euromed Chronology Appendices January countable Palestinian state through view to ensuring a more sustainable Euromed Chronology targeted policy reforms, fiscal consoli- urban future in the Euro-Mediterrane- Summit of Southern European Countries dation, reinforcing businesses and small an region and beyond. This Network- 10 – Rome: Leaders of Cyprus, France, and medium sized enterprises, strength- ing Event chaired by Amb. Ihab Fahmy, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain ening the Palestinian civil society and UfM Deputy Secretary General, and participate in the 4th Summit of Southern providing access to water and energy. organized in cooperation with the UN European Countries. The Summit Dec- https://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_ Human Settlements Programme (UN- laration, titled ‘’Bringing the EU forward IP-18-368_en.htm Habitat), the European Commission and in 2018’’ builds upon the EU agenda the European Investment Bank (EIB), settled last March 2017 in Rome on the EU – United Arab Emirates relations brought together representatives of sev- anniversary of the Rome Treaty. The 31 – Brussels: The HR/VP Mogherini eral UN agencies and other key partner Declaration calls for the consolidation of and United Arab Emirates Minister of organizations and IFIs, as well as urban a common European approach on se- Foreign Affairs and International Coop- development actors and potential part- curity and the management of migration eration, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al ners active in the Euro-Mediterranean flows, stresses the importance of a Nahyan sign a Cooperation Arrangement region. Common Migration Policy and urging a that scales up the relation between the https://ufmsecretariat.org/wuf9/ reform of the Common European Asylum EU and the UAE through an intensifica- 391 System (CEAS) and highlights the im- tion of political dialogue and strength- Water portance of reinforcing existing financial ened cooperation on key strategic is- 15 – London: EU helps EBRD to bring instruments, including the EU Trust Fund sues of mutual interest, notably trade first sanitation services to one million for Africa and the EU-Turkey facility. The facilitation and research. These key ar- Egyptians. The EBRD has received €38 Declaration does not feature prominent- eas accompany the UAE’s Vision 2021 million in grants from the European Un- ly the EU regional dimension as such; plans to boost growth, accelerate eco- ion (EU) to blend with its own invest- no reference is made to the European nomic diversification and shift towards ment of €186 million in the extension Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and to the a knowledge based society. The situa- and upgrade of wastewater services in Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). tion in the Sahel was also raised and the Egyptian governorate of Fayoum, https://europeanstudentcard.eu/declara Mogherini welcomed the UAE’s an- where three million people live. The tion-of-4th-summit-of-south-eu-states- nounced pledge of over €24 million to EBRD financing to the Fayoum Water bringing-the-eu-forward-in-2018/ the Sahel Joint Force. and Wastewater Company is comple- https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/ mented by an EU grant investment grant Palestine iran/39186/press-release-eu-and-uae- of €30 million and over €7 million for 31 – Brussels: The HRVP Mogherini sign-cooperation-arrangement_en technical assistance. In addition, the and Norwegian Minister of Foreign Af- European Investment Bank is providing fairs Soreide host an extraordinary a loan of €172 million. The funding will meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Commit- February support the construction of eight new 2019 tee (AHLC), the principal policy-level wastewater treatment plants, the expan- coordination mechanism for develop- Urbanism sion of nine units and the rehabilitation ment assistance to the occupied Pales- 12 – Kuala Lumpur: The UfM Secre- of 10 plants as well as the installation tinian territory and seek to promote dia- tariat hold in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia the of over 3,400 kilometres of pipes and logue between donors, the Palestinian Networking Event: “Towards implement- 139 pumping stations. In addition, 350 Authority, and the Israeli government. ing the New Urban Agenda in the Euro- sewage removal trucks will be procured The AHCL adopts a new assistance Mediterranean Region,” in the frame- to serve remote rural communities. Mediterranean Yearbook package of €42.5 million, including for work of the World Urban Forum (WUF9) https://www.ebrd.com/news/2018/eu- activities in East Jerusalem and support in continued efforts to raise awareness helping-ebrd-to-bring-first-sanitation- Med. Med. towards building a democratic and ac- about the UfM Urban Agenda with a services-to-one-million-egyptians.html IE Syria crises ever with millions of people wash- their countries of origin, as committed 16 – Sofia: HR/VP Mogherini announc- ing up in Europe in recent years. “ by the EU in the framework of the Joint es a second Brussels Conference on https://af.reuters.com/article/world Taskforce. It will also support the reset- Syria after a two day informal meeting of News/idAFKCN1G01SY tlement of more than 14,000 people in Appendices EU ministers in Sofia. The discussions need of international protection from focused on Syria, the Western Balkans Migration Niger, Chad, Cameroun and Burkina and the Democratic People’s Republic 22 – Tripoli: A high level mission of the Faso. Another measure worth €20 mil- of Korea. The Conference will focus on African Union, the European Union and lion will be dedicated to improve the two goals, Mogherini explained: “First the United Nations visits Tripoli on 22 assistance provided to vulnerable mi- and foremost, humanitarian support to February to take stock of progress made grants, particularly young people and Syrians, both inside Syria and in neigh- and to further enhance cooperation with women, in transit countries in the Sahel bouring countries, namely Lebanon, Libyan authorities in the joint response region and the Lake Chad Basin. Jordan and Turkey and support to the to migration and protection challenges. https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/news- Euromed Chronology UN-led political process in Geneva.” The visit to Libya is a direct follow-up to and-events/delivering-commitments- Mogherini explained that all diplomatic the meeting of the joint African Union new-programmes-protect-migrants- efforts must strengthen the Geneva – European Union – United Nations Task and-support-return-and_en talks. Speaking at a press conference Force in Brussels, in December 2017. in Sofia, the HRVP highlighted that “the The Mission includes Commissioner of Energy situation on the ground is deteriorating” the African Union Amira El-Fadil, repre- 28 – Alexandria: EU inaugurates Ther- and “this is something the world shouldn’t sentatives of the European External Ac- modynamic Solar project in Egypt. Head forget.” She confirmed that EU Ministers tion Service (EEAS) and the European of the European Union Delegation to discussed “how to mobilize this human- Commission, the UN Support Mission in Egypt Ambassador Ivan Surkoš, along itarian support, but also how to use the Libya, the International Organisation for with Minister of Electricity and Renewable convening power of the European Union Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Energy Dr. Mohamed Shaker, Minister to support the UN-led political process High Commissioner for Refugees (UN- of Higher Education and Scientific Re- that, as you know, is facing difficult mo- HCR). They met with the Libyan Minister search Dr. Khalid Abdul Ghaffar, Presi- ments in these weeks.” of Foreign Affairs Mohammed Sialla and dent of Academy of Scientific Research https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/ other Libyan officials, and visited a de- and Technology Dr. Mahmoud Sakr, and headquarters-homepage/59581/rem tention centre for migrants and a shelter a number of ambassadors of EU Mem- 392 arks-high-representativevice-president- for internally displaced people. ber States, inaugurated on Tuesday the federica-mogherini-upon-arrival-minis https://reliefweb.int/report/libya/high- Multipurpose Applications by Thermo- terial-meeting_en level-au-eu-un-mission-visits-tripoli- dynamic Solar (MATS) project in Borg enhance-co-operation-migration-and El Arab, Alexandria. MATS project, co- Security funded by the European Union, is a re- 16 – Doha: Qatar calls for EU-style se- Migration search facility and unique multipurpose curity pact for Middle East. Middle East- 26 – Brussels: EU adopts new pro- solar plant with the goal of identifying and ern states should put their differences grammes worth over €150 million under exploiting the appropriate technologies behind them and forge a security pact the European Union Emergency Trust that can conveniently integrate solar en- modelled on the European Union in or- Fund for Africa. The new programmes ergy in the current energy system and der to pull the region back from the complement ongoing efforts of the Eu- secure a stable supply to consumers. brink, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin ropean Union to protect migrants and https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/ Hamad Al Thani said on 16 February. provide them with sustainable reintegra- egypt/40503/mats-research-facility- He asked the international community tion options in Libya, along the Central and-solar-plant-excellent-model-col to keep up diplomatic pressure on the Mediterranean Route and in Ethiopia. As laboration-between-eu-and-egypt_en countries concerned to achieve that, but announced by Federica Mogherini an offered few other details. “I believe that additional €115 million have been made it is time for wider regional security in available to support migrants in Libya. March 2019 the Middle East. It is time for all nations This programme will be implemented of the region to forget the past, includ- together with the International Organisa- PESCO ing us, and agree on basic security prin- tion for Migration (IOM) and the United 6 – Brussels: The Foreign Affairs Coun- ciples and rules of governance, and at Nations High Commissioner for Refu- cil adopts a roadmap for the Permanent least a minimum level of security to allow gees (UNHCR).