Consultation Circles on the new Pact: Forging shared resilience in the Mediterranean
On 27–28 May 2025, the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), in partnership with the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies (ACPSS) and hosted by the American University in Cairo (AUC), convened the second EuroMeSCo Consultation Circle: Consulting Southern Partners in Cairo.
The meeting formed part of the EU-funded initiative: Support to Reflection and Consultations on the Pact for the Mediterranean, which channels Southern perspectives into the forthcoming New Pact for the Mediterranean—the EU’s renewed framework for strategic cooperation with its Southern Neighbourhood.
This two-day, closed-door dialogue gathered more than 90 policymakers, researchers, civil-society leaders, youth voices and private-sector actors from across the Middle East to define shared priorities and co-develop policy recommendations. Deliberations revolved around three pillars of the draft Pact: fostering inclusive economic growth, empowering youth through skills and mobility, and advancing a climate-resilient, sustainable transformation.
An interactive exchange with Ambassador Angelina Eichhorst, Head of the EU Delegation to Egypt, highlighted the political momentum behind the Pact. Ambassador Eichhorst underscored the need for a partnership of equals built on local ownership, mutual respect and practical cooperation, inviting participants to propose concrete initiatives that deliver tangible benefits across the Mediterranean.
The Consultation Circles will continue in Brussels (11–12 June 2025), circuling bacl regional inputs to the European Commission for a co-owned, future-oriented Euro-Mediterranean partnership.
