§ Mr. Gordon MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the relationship between the EU EuroMed process and the US Greater Middle East Initiative. [170308]
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§ Mr. MacShaneThe Barcelona Process (or EuroMed Partnership) and the US Greater Middle East Initiative share common objectives of promoting stability and prosperity in the region. They seek to assist the region's development through broad-based reform. The Barcelona Process is a structured process of engagement and assistance across a broad range of issues with those countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean. The US initiative offers programme assistance in focussed areas to a broader range of countries in the Middle East region and beyond. The Government believes the Barcelona Process and the US Greater Middle East Initiative have complementary roles to play in the pursuit of common objectives.