Economic Diplomacy as a Lever for Regional Integration in the Euro-Mediterranean Region

As the world awakens to the immensity of the opportunities and challenges generated by the twin humanitarian and economic disruptions associated with the pandemic crisis and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, global diplomacy stands at a crossroads where the scale and scope of change call for governments to further develop their economic diplomacy in an age of major economic blocks and nascent geopolitical ambitions across the globe. Trade facilitation, investment promotion, financial literacy, innovation, and digital transformation are all essential elements of any toolkit for a post-pandemic recovery that would be sustainable, inclusive, and responsible. In a world whose contours are constantly shaped by accelerating inter-connectivity and value chain reconfigurations, these tools are of paramount importance for foreign-policy decision makers as they open new pathways for regional and sub-regional integration and collaboration. In this context, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) aims to promote regional integration in its different modalities as a driving force to build consensus on regional agendas in the Mediterranean region towards a meaningful growth and win-win economic development models. Equally, the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS) aims to contribute to the improvement of economic and social public policies that challenge a global South that defines its own narratives and mental maps namely around the Mediterranean and South Atlantic basins, as part of a forward-looking relationship with the rest of the world. Besides, Morocco is one of the coessential promoters of economic diplomacy through synergy-building in the Euro-Mediterranean region, as well as a centerpiece of African and Mediterranean frameworks of economic integration based on inclusive economic models and cross-border collaboration. Together, the Policy Center for the New South and the Union for the Mediterranean jointly organize a seminar on Economic Diplomacy as a Lever of Regional Integration in the Euro-Mediterranean Region, on July 21, 2023, in Rabat. In this framework, eminent personalities, diplomats, experts, academicians will share their perspectives and expertise with the participants to develop a shared vision on how economic diplomacy can bring an added value to the actions deployed by the Mediterranean countries and reach the goals of the partnership and cooperation between the two shores of the Mediterranean.