EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, said that the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is still holding for now, but remains “fragile.”

Speaking at the closing press conference of the 10th Regional Forum of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) held in Barcelona, she called for an end to settler attacks in the occupied West Bank and for those responsible to be held accountable in order to achieve peace.

Kallas noted that overall reliance on digital technologies in the Middle East and North Africa could increase GDP per capita by 5–50% over the next fifty years.

She added that the Union for the Mediterranean is a unique organization that brings together 43 countries representing more than 700 million citizens.

Kallas stressed that the new Mediterranean Pact, officially launched today, represents an important contribution to joint action, as it strengthens the blue economy, infrastructure, and the integration of supply chains.

The Union for the Mediterranean hosted the 10th Regional Forum in Barcelona on Friday under the theme “Together for a Stronger Euro-Mediterranean Partnership,” marking 30 years since the launch of the Barcelona Process, which laid the foundations for Euro-Mediterranean dialogue and cooperation.

The ministerial meeting was co-chaired by Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, and EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica. It was hosted by Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation José Manuel Albares, with the participation of UfM Secretary General Nasser Kamel.

The forum celebrates three decades of collective commitment to peace, stability and prosperity in the Mediterranean region, while reaffirming a shared vision for a stronger and more resilient partnership in the face of pressing challenges, including inequality, unemployment, rising living costs, shrinking opportunities, and the growing impacts of climate change and water stress.