10th Med economic meeting to begin Nov. 30 in Barcelona

ANKARA (AA) - The focus will be on recent sociopolitical changes in the Mediterranean region as well as the private sector's role in stability and regional development, youth unemployment, and creating jobs at the 10th Mediterranean Week of Economic Leaders in Barcelona, Spain.

The three-day gathering, one of the region’s major economic events, will open in Barcelona on last day of November and run through Dec. 2.

The leaders forum is co-organized by the Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME), Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), in collaboration with the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) and other prominent regional and international organizations.

The Mediterranean today is a region in transformation undergoing deep political and socioeconomic changes, ASCAME said in statement.

"Recent events such as conflicts in Syria or Libya and the refugee crisis have put in evidence, first, the strong existing interconnection between both shores of the region," the chambers stressed.

"For this reason, today more than ever, it is required of international platforms to discuss and think over these uncertainties, as well as the economic opportunities for collaboration in the region," ASCAME added.

This year’s forum will be held under the slogan ''A need for action," and will focus on key aspects for economic development of the Mediterranean.

The event will have a multitude of meetings, conferences, and debates of various hot topics in the region and promising economic growth sectors, such as the social economy, hotel sector, international training, or start-up companies in the region.

"Specific approaches will be on Lebanon, Egypt, and other countries of the Maghreb area in the framework of the 13th North Africa Business and Development Forum (NABDF) to debate its economic growth and to know its main economic plans for investment,” ASCAME added in a statement.