Ukraine does not touch a Mediterranean coastline, yet its ongoing war—now into its ninth month—has dominated the agenda at the seventh UfM (Union for the Mediterranean) Regional Forum in Barcelona. The meeting gathered EU members and neighbors along the southern coastlines of Europe and the North Africa/Middle East region to accelerate economic cooperation and close the gap between the two shores. Held at Fundació Miró, the forum aimed to speed up projects and address urgent issues, including the food crisis and the energy conflicts that have unsettled stability in Eastern Europe. UfM member states and the organization’s broader network pressed for practical steps forward, highlighting the urgency in Josep Borrell’s remarks as the EU’s Foreign Policy High Representative and in the discussions that followed.
“The world is far more challenging than a year ago,” Borrell noted at the closing press conference. He recalled that the post-Covid rebound had been interrupted by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. The forum brought together seventeen foreign ministers from 44 UfM member states and underscored growing inequalities between Europe and the southern Mediterranean shore, new migration pressures, and the need for coherent regulation. The Spanish official emphasized that no person should be treated as illegal and urged intensified efforts to counter human trafficking networks that fuel illegal migration and support populist movements offering simple solutions to real problems. Since 2014, more than 25,000 migrants are known to have died attempting to reach Europe, with an estimated 16,000 deaths documented in maritime records.
attention to youth
A central focus of UfM is youth. The forum stressed the importance of channeling mobility—whether legal or otherwise—toward orderly pathways that help young people pursue a better future in Europe. “Half of the population in the South is under 24 years old; they require regulated mobility and development opportunities,” Borrell highlighted. In Barcelona, a delegation representing younger generations explored what is called “offers and requests,” with the Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, detailing initiatives for youth development. Albares signaled a new labor center and announced a contribution of 500,000 euros to support pathways for young people seeking opportunities in Europe. Regional cooperation was framed as a key tool to meet evolving challenges tied to migration and the broader Russo-Ukrainian war, with the Spanish minister reflecting on the political dimension of these efforts.
North Macedonia’s role in UfM was noted for its progress, including its inclusion in the network and the anticipated formal entry. The session also touched on long-standing infrastructure initiatives, including a historic submarine data cable project that traces back to the 1990s. The plan envisioned a roughly 7,100-kilometer link starting in Lisbon and ending in Port Said on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, with multiple entry points across Portugal, Morocco, Spain, Algeria, France, and Tunisia, and potential expansion into the Middle East. The cable was described as a symbolic connector with tangible impacts on people’s lives, a sentiment echoed by European officials present at the ceremony.
In this broader context, the UfM forum underscored the enduring relevance of regional collaboration for stability, growth, and humanitarian protection. The events in Barcelona highlighted how dialogue among European and neighboring countries can translate into programs that support mobility, jobs, energy diversification, and resilient supply chains—subject areas that remain central as the region navigates the repercussions of the conflict in Ukraine and its ripple effects on migration and regional development. The forum’s emphasis on practical projects and youth-focused initiatives reflects a sustained commitment to bridging gaps and fostering broader, more inclusive prosperity across the entire UfM space. The discussions also pointed to the role of European Commissioners and regional partners in shaping policies that balance security, humanitarian concerns, and economic opportunity, with attention to the long-term implications of the conflict for regional integration and cooperation.