“Tocqueville was right: institutions endure when they become part of the social fabric.
The first challenge is to institutionalise dialogue: to transform it into permanent forums, fixed schedules and predictable procedures.”

With these words, launching a concrete Italian challenge to Europe, Renato Loiero, Economic Adviser to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, summed up the most significant message of the international conference held on 30 June 2026 at the European Parliament Office in Italy, within the framework of the eighth edition of the annual Medi-Jer Euro-Mediterranean Inter-Institutional Initiative: “A new EU vision for Cooperation in the Greater Mediterranean and the Gulf“.

The two organising institutions, “Mediterranean Perspectives” and the “Italian Network for Euro-Mediterranean Dialogue” – RIDE, the Italian Head of Network of the Anna Lindh Foundation, gave concrete form to Loiero’s vision through two proposals.

Following the opening remarks by Carlo Corazza, Head of the European Parliament Office in Italy, and Vito Borrelli, Representative of the European Commission in Italy, who highlighted the need for a shared strategic vision in light of the Abraham Accords and the opportunities offered by the Mattei Plan, Dr. Enrico Molinaro, Mediterranean Perspective’s President, and RIDE’s Secretary General, presented the proposal to set up an establish a “Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Innovation, Higher Education and Science Diplomacy on Sustainability”, available to institutions, universities and experts, also from countries in conflict, enabling them to cooperate on major common challenges.

Dr. Molinaro also renewed the proposal for the “Jerusalem Holy Places Centre” (JHPC), with the analogous objective of facilitating cooperation through permanent structures dedicated to protecting the shared heritage of Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Among the distinguished speakers - representatives of European and national institutions, the diplomatic community, academia and religious organisations - were Amb. Giampiero Massolo; Hon. Gennaro Migliore, Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean-PAM President; Matthew Robinson, EGIC Director; Georgios Mitrakos, ICBSS Director; Emanuela Del Re, former UE Special Representative for the Sahel; Amb. Yerbolat Sembayev, Head of Mission at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Italy, who engaged in a direct discussion with Prefect Alessandro Tortorella, Central Director for Religious Affairs at the Italian Ministry of the Interior; Prof. Gianluigi Rossi; Francesco Corvaro, Italy’s Special Envoy for Climate Change; Nidal Shoukeir, International Committee on Countering Extremism and Hate Speech, ICCEHS Director; Roberto Cavallo, ERICA founder; Alfio Giomi, FISO President; Michael Mocci, “Sacrum et Polis” Director; Fadi Suidan, Jerusalem YMCA Director; Ribal Dayekh, ICCEHSE Strategic Communications Head; Gianfranco Tamburelli, Italian National Research Council - CNR Senior Researcher; Remo Cecconi, Salvia Materviva Quality Manager; Gennaro Maria Di Lucia, Mediterranean Perspective Consultant; Emanuela Scarponi, African People News; Vanessa Combattelli, Italy-USA Foundation; Marco Ricceri, Eurispes Secretary General; Riccardo Sessa, SIOI President ; Mauro D’Andrea, Rondine; Riccardo Di Segni, Chief Rabbi of Rome; Nader Akkad, Imam of the Great Mosque of Rome; Bishop Ambrogio Spreafico, (Sant’Egidio Community); Brando Benifei, Lucio Malan and Marco Scurria, Members of the European and Italian Parliaments.

Within this vision, the Greater Mediterranean is confirmed as one of the main geopolitical laboratories of the twenty-first century: a strategic space in which the very future of Europe can be imagined.

The two full recordings available on the Radio Radicale website:
https://www.radioradicale.it/scheda/793134

Please find the poster here.