Western Mediterranean Forum (5+5 Dialogue) – Malta Declaration – Letter from Malta (excerpts)

Letter dated 10 October 2012 from the Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General 

 I have the honour to enclose herewith the Declaration adopted at the summit of the Western Mediterranean Forum (5+5 Dialogue), held in Malta from 5 to 6 October 2012 (see annex). 

 I would appreciate if the present letter and its annex could be circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 99. 

(Signed) Christopher Grima 

Permanent Representative 

Annex to the letter dated 10 October 2012 from the Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General 

   Malta Declaration 

   Concluding the Second Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the Western Mediterranean Forum 

   5+5 Dialogue 

   Valletta, 5-6 October 2012 

THE HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT of the Member States of the Western Mediterranean Forum, namely, Algeria, France, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia, meeting on the occasion of the 5+5 Dialogue Summit in Valletta on 5 and 6 October 2012 at the invitation of the Head of Government of Malta, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, and with the participation as observers of the President of the European Commission, the European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, the Secretary General of the Arab Maghreb Union, the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, and the Secretary-General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, and the representative of the League of Arab States; 

FULLY CONSCIOUS of the vast common heritage of Mediterranean civilization, history and culture that characterizes the sociocultural fabric of the Euro-Mediterranean region and of the shared aspirations by the peoples of the region for a partnership in democracy, stability, security and prosperity; 

REAFFIRMING that the 5+5 Dialogue, being the core of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation and representing a model of North-South partnership, represents a fundamental instrument for the consolidation of the complementarity and solidarity among the two shores of the Western Mediterranean; 

RECALLING the Tunis Declaration released at the First Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Western Mediterranean Forum in December 2003 and the conclusions of the last foreign ministerial meeting held last 20 February in Rome, as well as the sectoral ministerial meetings held since then; 

HAVING reviewed the present Summit agenda issues and exchanged views on how to further promote the Western Mediterranean Forum’s contribution to enhanced dialogue, constructive regional cooperation and integration; 

DECLARE the following: 

/…

   Regional security and stability 

 Premising that collective security and stability in the Euro-Mediterranean region are indivisible and that the cooperative security philosophy nurtured over these last two decades has developed into strategic significance to the region in the assessment of countering sources of insecurity and common threats in regional dynamics, 

The 5+5 Dialogue: 

/…

 •  While recalling the Rome Conclusions of the 5+5 Dialogue Foreign Ministerial meeting, reiterates its stance on the shared position that a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East must be achieved through the resumption of negotiations on all final status issues that are conducive to a two-State solution with a State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous and viable State of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, on the basis of the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, the Madrid principles including land for peace, the Roadmap, the agreements previously reached by the parties and the Arab Peace Initiative. The 5+5 affirms its shared position not to recognize any changes to the pre-1967 borders other than those agreed by both parties, including with regard to Jerusalem. It stresses its common position that Israeli settlements anywhere in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law and constitute an obstacle to peace; 

 •  Welcomes the reconfirmation by international donors of their assessment of the state readiness of the Palestinian Authority, regarding institutions during the last Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) meeting. It expresses grave concern at the severe fiscal crisis and economic slowdown that hamper the Palestinian Authority’s ability to sustain its state-building achievements. The 5+5 Dialogue calls on international donors to meet the financing gap of the Palestinian Authority treasury and, while recalling the last AHLC Chair’s Summary, calls on Israel to take positive steps to enable sustainable economic development in the Palestinian territories, including in area C and in the Gaza Strip;

/… 

___________