Author: admin

Distinguished Minister, Members of the European Parliament and the National Assembly,
Excellencies, Representatives of ports, international organizations, academia and business, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I.

It is a great pleasure and an honour to welcome you today to EMUNI University and to the international conference Geopolitics of Transport.

Welcome to Koper.

A city that has connected the Mediterranean with Central Europe for centuries.

A place where trade routes, cultures and ideas have met and interacted throughout history.

It is therefore only natural that we gather here to discuss the geopolitics of transport.

II.

Today’s conference addresses issues that are becoming increasingly important not only for Europe, but for the world as a whole.

The key question before us is simple: 

Will the Mediterranean remain a central hub of global connectivity? 

or 

Will ongoing disruptions reshape trade routes in ways that weaken its strategic importance?

Transport is no longer merely a matter of infrastructure and logistics.

It has become a matter of economic resilience, security and geopolitical influence.

III.

The Mediterranean remains one of the world’s most important transport and trade corridors.

It connects Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Disruptions in global supply chains, conflicts in different parts of the world, and growing instability in the wider Mediterranean region have demonstrated how closely security, trade and development are interconnected.

They have also shown how quickly disruptions in one region can affect economies and societies across the globe.

This is why stability in the Mediterranean is not simply a regional concern.

It is a global concern.

A significant share of global trade passes through its maritime routes. Energy flows, supply chains and increasingly important data connections depend on its stability and openness.

When we discuss the future of the Mediterranean, we are also discussing the future of global connectivity.

Today, the Mediterranean is a central geopolitical space, where questions of connectivity, security and economic development increasingly intersect.

IV.

Today, Europe faces a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape.

Transport corridors, ports and logistics hubs are becoming strategic assets.

They influence competitiveness, resilience and international positioning. Our challenge is therefore clear: 

We must preserve openness, cooperation and free trade. 

We must strengthen the resilience of our supply chains and ensure the security of critical transport routes.

V.

Transport policy can no longer be viewed solely through an economic lens.

It is also a matter of foreign policy, security, strategic autonomy and international cooperation.

The future of European connectivity will depend on our ability to build partnerships, to invest in modern infrastructure and to contribute to a stable and secure Mediterranean region.

In this effort, diplomacy remains indispensable.

Only through dialogue, cooperation and mutual trust can we ensure reliable and predictable transport routes.

And reliable connectivity remains a foundation of economic growth, stability and prosperity.

Respect for international law, sovereignty and freedom of navigation remains essential for global stability. 

Attempts to advance interests through force or by undermining international rules ultimately threaten the security and prosperity of us all.

VI.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In this context, the mission of EMUNI University becomes even more relevant.

EMUNI was established with a clear vision: to connect the countries and peoples of the Euro-Mediterranean region through education, research, intercultural dialogue and the promotion of a culture of peace and shared prosperity.

Our mission is to build bridges between the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean.

We firmly believe that long-term stability can not be built through infrastructure and investment alone.

It must also be built through knowledge, understanding and opportunities for future generations.

This is why I am particularly pleased to announce the further expansion of EMUNI’ s academic offer.

This year, we are launching a new Master’ s programme in Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of the Mediterranean.

Next year, this will be followed by new Master s programmes in Port Management and the Blue Economy.

These fields will play a crucial role in shaping the future of our region.

We need a new generation of professionals capable of understanding the complex interactions between geopolitics, transport, trade, energy, sustainability and international relations.

EMUNI aspires to become a platform where such knowledge is created, shared and transformed into practical solutions.

VII.

We also see our work as a contribution to broader European priorities: 

-to the implementation of the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood Policy.

-to strengthening Euro-Mediterranean cooperation.

-to the new vision of regional partnership embodied in the Pact for the Mediterranean.

Universities have an important role to play in this process.

They connect people, institutions and ideas.

They create trust.

And they prepare future leaders to address common challenges through cooperation rather than confrontation.

VIII.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Slovenia may be a small country in size.

Yet, it serves as an important bridge between Central Europe and the Mediterranean. 

Thanks to its geographical position, its maritime tradition, the Port of Koper and its active role within the EU.

Smaller states can make meaningful contributions through dialogue, regional expertise, coalition-building and support for cooperative solutions.

The same applies to international network of universities such as EMUNI. 

Our strength lies in connecting people.

Connecting knowledge.

And thus connecting coasts of Mediterranean.

I am therefore delighted that today’s conference brings together policymakers, diplomats, port authorities, business leaders, international organizations and academic experts.

The challenges we face are complex. But they are also shared.

And shared challenges require shared solutions.

I hope that today’s discussions will contribute not only to a better understanding of the changing geopolitical landscape, 

but also to stronger partnerships and new ideas for the future of Mediterranean and European connectivity.

Above all, I hope they will reaffirm our common belief that dialogue, cooperation and knowledge remain the most reliable foundations of a secure, stable and prosperous Mediterranean.

The future of the Mediterranean will not be shaped by geography alone, but by the choices we make together.

Thank you very much.

Excellencies, distinguished guests, colleagues, students, dear friends of the Mediterranean,

It is a great honour to welcome you to the European Parliament for this high-level conference dedicated to the role of higher education in shaping the future of Euro–Southern Mediterranean relations.

A special welcome is extended to the representatives of the  Ministry of Higher Education and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia; to Member of the European Parliament Vladimir Prebilič; to representatives of the European Commission and the Union for the Mediterranean; to representatives of European and Arab higher-education institutions; to rectors, professors, and researchers; and, in particular, to the students. Ultimately, every policy discussed at this conference is designed for them.

This conference takes place in Brussels, at the heart of European decision-making, with a clear and deliberate purpose: to affirm that education, research, and innovation are the strongest bridges that can be built across the Mediterranean. Education represents Europe’s most powerful form of soft power, and at a time of profound transformation and uncertainty, the Mediterranean requires this soft power more than ever.

The organisers wish to express sincere appreciation to the conference co-organisers: the Euro-Mediterranean University of Fes, under the leadership of its President, Dr. Bousmina, and the Slovenian Business and Research Association, led by its President, Dr. Veselinovič.

1. A Turning Point for the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean region is characterised by one of the strongest demographic contrasts in the world. On its southern shores, a rapidly growing and increasingly educated youth population is emerging. On its northern shores, Europe faces demographic ageing and an acute need for talent.

This contrast carries both risk and opportunity. Without strategic cooperation, it may generate instability, unregulated migration, and social frustration. With courage, vision, and sustained cooperation, however, it can become one of the most significant opportunities for shared prosperity of the present generation.

At this critical juncture, higher education must not be viewed as a sectoral policy. It constitutes a geopolitical priority. Higher education shapes values, contributes to social stability, creates economic opportunity, and builds bridges in contexts where traditional diplomacy may encounter limitations.

2. Contributing to the Action Plan of the Pact for the Mediterranean

This conference is not a symbolic event. It is conceived as a working meeting of institutions that possess both the capacity to influence policy and the responsibility to deliver tangible outcomes.

The central objective is to contribute substantively to the development of a strong, realistic, and actionable Action Plan for the Pact for the Mediterranean. Participants are encouraged to propose concrete policy instruments and operational measures.

The discussions focus on:

• strengthening university alliances across the Mediterranean;
• ensuring that academic mobility becomes more inclusive and more equitable;
• facilitating a transition from brain drain to brain circulation;
• linking research and innovation more effectively to societal needs;
• empowering youth and women as key agents of change;
• establishing structured and mutually beneficial cooperation between Europe, the Southern Mediterranean, and the Gulf; and
• in the longer term, building a Euro-Mediterranean Higher Education Area from the bottom up.

These objectives extend beyond universities alone. They form part of a broader project aimed at regional stability, economic development, and long-term peace.

3. Towards a New Chapter of the Barcelona Process

Nearly three decades ago, the Barcelona Process articulated a vision of partnership and shared development across the Mediterranean. Since then, the Barcelona Process and the Union for the Mediterranean have advanced political dialogue, economic cooperation, and cultural exchange.

However, higher education and research—despite their central role in developing skills, fostering mutual understanding, and expanding opportunity—remain underutilised instruments within this framework. The Mediterranean region requires a renewed chapter characterised by long-term, structured, and institutionalised cooperation.

The Pact for the Mediterranean should represent this next stage: an evolution of the Barcelona Process grounded in knowledge, people-to-people engagement, and institutional partnerships.

4. EMUNI University as a Living Pillar of Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation

The Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI) was established as a living pillar of this vision: a bridge built not of physical infrastructure, but of partnerships.

Its mission is to connect the Mediterranean through knowledge and to translate ideas into action. EMUNI brings together universities, researchers, and students from both shores of the Mediterranean, fostering alliances, joint programmes, and shared research initiatives. In doing so, it converts political ambition into practical academic cooperation.

EMUNI stands ready to strengthen its role as a potential entrusted partner of the European Commission in implementing the higher-education dimension of the Pact for the Mediterranean. With its networks, institutional experience, and regional presence, EMUNI is prepared to contribute actively to transforming the Pact into concrete outcomes.

5. Proposals to the European Commission

To ensure that today’s discussions lead to tangible results, two proposals are advanced.

First, a long-term institutional partnership between the European Commission and university networks such as EMUNI, EUROMED, UNIMED, and others is proposed. This partnership could be formalised through a Multiannual Framework Agreement for the period 2025–2032, providing stability, predictability, and strategic continuity beyond short-term project cycles.

Second, it is proposed that the European Commission formally entrust EMUNI and other networks with specific tasks related to the Pact for the Mediterranean. These tasks could include:

• coordinating university alliances and institutional partnerships across the Mediterranean;
• managing regional mobility schemes in both North–South and South–North directions, ensuring that mobility functions as opportunity rather than forced migration;
• launching pilot research and innovation calls for Southern Mediterranean universities and research centres, with a focus on climate action, water management, digital transformation, renewable energy, entrepreneurship and employment, and societal and climate resilience.

Through such arrangements, Euro-Mediterranean university networks could serve as the European Union’s principal implementing platform for the development of a shared Euro-Mediterranean Knowledge Space.

6. A Message to University Partners

Universities constitute the core of this process. Their students, professors, researchers, and institutional creativity give substance to cooperation.

Universities are invited to join EMUNI in developing new alliances, joint study programmes, and shared research initiatives. Academic mobility should be understood not as migration, but as knowledge in motion—returning skills, partnerships, and mutual understanding that strengthen societies on both shores of the Mediterranean.

Collaboration in innovation, digitalisation, green technologies, and cultural dialogue can transform the Mediterranean into a laboratory for cooperation and sustainable growth. The recommendations emerging from this conference will contribute to the people-to-people dimension of the Action Plan guiding the Pact for the Mediterranean from 2026 onwards.

Conclusion

The Mediterranean has long been described as the place where continents meet. It should also be recognised as the place where knowledge meets—where talent circulates, research connects societies, alliances create opportunity, and education serves as a foundation for peace.

The Pact for the Mediterranean provides a strategic framework, but its success will depend on people: policymakers, researchers, professors, and students. EMUNI stands ready to contribute to this collective effort with ambition, responsibility, and partnership.

The next thirty years of Euro–Mediterranean cooperation can become a story defined by knowledge, innovation, and shared prosperity. The Mediterranean should not be perceived as a dividing sea, but as a common space of learning, creativity, and peace.