Mr President, I should like to say firstly that I feel very proud to be working in this Parliament and to see how, at the Valencia Ministerial Conference everything that we have been told corresponds to a position of agreement on cooperation, to which other countries are signing up. I believe that it is a strong Europe, a Europe of the future, that is achieving this, and I believe that institutional cooperation and cooperation between other countries are aspects that should be highlighted. With regard to the Euro-Mediterranean Conference, I should like to furthermore offer my congratulations on the excellent idea of introducing – or of trying to introduce – solutions on a Mediterranean scale. One of the failings of the MEDA Plan, one of the causes of the delay in incorporating the countries of the Mediterranean into European policy, or into the offer that we are making, is the need for these to be accepted according to their own logic, to their own scale and with a new sensitivity and a new way of addressing problems. Along the same lines, I should like to also express my satisfaction that culture, tourism, education, integration between peoples and dialogue were addressed as issues of the utmost priority. In my view, to culture, education, tourism and cultural dialogue we can add sustainable development and globalisation, the benefits of which also have an effect in the country that provides these and I think that this is an example of successful coexistence between a world that is in the process of modernising itself and a world that still needs to become part of the change, but which has a great history of its own. As Vice-Chairman of the Delegation for Relations with Israel, I should also like to say something about the conflict in the Middle East: our position – my position – is quite clear and we have stated it in other forums. We have now reached a time when institutional positions must be adopted. It is true that we can all express our regret – and I do so now – at Palestinian terrorism, at the disproportionate response of Israel, and at the intolerable situation that currently exists. Furthermore we, with a European sensitivity and with our history of peace and democracy and our rules of the game, cannot accept that humanitarian assistance is not being provided and we must call for this loud and clear. This is not the time, however, for the Members of this House or even the delegations or the groups, to make statements in isolation. This is the time to strengthen European cohesion, to help Europe to develop a single vision, an institutional position of the Presidency, the Council, the Commission and Parliament, because we are deciding on the future of an entire region and the problem does not just concern the present, but also the future. Therefore, I now clearly state my support for peace, but for a peace that must be accompanied with very clear and solid positions, on which we are all united, not at a personal or emotional level, but for the sake of reaching an objective, consistent and lasting solution, and in which we bear in mind that our obligation is to ensure that there is peace, but also to look after the future and to look after this Mediterranean area.

Political group: PPE-DE