Research ministers from the euro Mediterranean countries look to future collaboration
Speaking at an informal meeting of research ministers from the euro-Mediterranean countries, organised by the Italian Minister Mr Ortensio Zecchino in Capri on the 29 and 30 September, the European Commissioner for Research, Philippe Busquin, recently underlined the importance of research in the euro-Mediterranean partenariat. Ministers agreed that cooperation in research and technology in the framework of the Barcelona processes must be promoted and reinforced with Community financial instruments, such as coordination between the MEDA programme and the Community's RTD Framework programme, with a view to creating a euro-Mediterranean zone for research. The euro-Mediterranean states need to re-think their research strategy, reinforcing the committee's role, Commissioner Busquin advised the ministers present. They included Ortensio Zecchino (Italy), Roger-Gérard Schwartzenberg (France), Mariano Gago (Portugal), Nikos Christodoulakis (Greece), the secretary of state Ramón Marimón Sunol (Spain), as well as Minsters Boughazi (Algeria), Fassi-Fehri (Morocco), Zebidi (Tunisia) and the President of the National research centre of Eissa (Egypt)