Labour MEP Edward Scicluna spoke about the need for a Mediterranean Investment Bank in his plenary speech as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean(UfM). This follows his appointment as a full member of the European Parliament’s delegation earlier this month.
At the plenary session in Rabat, Morocco on the 24th and 25th March, which brought together MEPs and the newly elected parliamentarians from some of the countries involved in the Arab Spring, Prof Scicluna said:
“As a Mediterranean, from the island of Malta I cannot conclude without referring with some sadness that the dream of a Mediterranean Investment Bank or programme has once again been postponed. I look forward to the day when the countries in the region will realise this vision of owning their own investment bank aimed to address their own regional needs,” he said.
Prof Scicluna also emphasized the similarities and differences between the Arab Spring revolution and the effect of the collapse of the Soviet Union on the countries of Eastern Europe commenting that:
“Most important of all is the democratic transition which the North African states, like Eastern Europe, are facing today. But there are differences. Unlike the Eastern European case, the Mediterranean North African countries are neither aspiring to become full members of the European Union, nor are they as keen to embrace a free market economy.
Prof Scicluna concluded:
“The North African countries want reform, but with valid reason, they cannot have faith in the unregulated market economy, in view of the enormous financial and economic crisis in which the western world has got itself embroiled.”
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Scicluna jsejjaħ għat-twaqqif ta’ Bank Ewromediterranju
L-Ewroparlamentari Laburista Edward Scicluna tkellem dwar il-ħtieġa ta’ Bank tal-Investiment Ewromediterranju, fl-ewwel diskors tiegħu bħala membru tal-Assemblea Parlamentari tal-Unjoni għall-Mediterran. Dan wara li, aktar kmieni dan ix-xahar, inħatar membru tad-Delegazzjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew fuq din l-Assemblea.
Fis-seduta plenarja li saret fil-Marokk fl-24 u l-25 ta’ Marzu, li laqqgħet flimkien l-MPEs u membri parlamentari mill-pajjiżi involuti fir-Rebbiegħa Għarbija, l-Prof. Scicluna qal,
“Bħala Mediterranju minn Malta, ma nistax ma nikkonkludix mingħajr ma nirreferi, b’ċerta dieqa, għall-fatt li l-Bank tal-Investiment Meditteranju rega’, għal darb’oħra, ġie pospost. Inħares ‘il quddiem lejn dik il-ġurnata fejn il-pajjiżi ta’ dan ir-reġjun iwettqu l-viżjoni tagħhom li jkollhom bank tal-investiment li jkun iffukat fuq il-ħtiġijiet partikolari tar-reġjun tagħhom”.
Il-Prof. Scicluna enfasizza ukoll is-similaritajiet u d-differenzi li kien hemm bejn ir-Rebbiegħa Għarbija u l-waqa’ tal-Unjoni Sovjetika għall-pajjiżii tal-Lvant tal-Ewropa.
“L-iktar haġa importanti hija t-tranżizzjoni lejn id-demokrazija li dawn il-pajjiżi qed jiffaċċjaw illum il-ġurnata. Pero hemm ukoll differenzi. Kontra dak li ġara fil-pajjiżi tal-Lvant ta l-Ewropa, il-pajjiżi tal-Afrika ta’ Fuq mhumiex jaspiraw li jsiru membri sħaħ tal-Unjoni Ewropea u lanqas ma jridu jħaddnu sistema ta’ suq kompletament ħieles.”
Il-Prof. Scicluna kkonkluda,
“Il-Pajjiżi ta l-Afrika ta’ Fuq iridu jwettqu riformi pero, bir-raġun kollu, ma jistgħux ikollhom fiduċja f’ekonomija tas-suq li ma tkunx regolarizzata fid-dawl tal-kriżi finanzjarja u ekonomika li laqtet lid-dinja”.
– Rabat, Morocco. Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th, March, 2012.
