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Med-Or: the International Board of the Foundation meets for the first time in Rome
Held the first meeting of the Med-Or Foundation’s International Board. Minniti (Med-Or Chairman): “A great opportunity to discuss the future of the Mediterranean”
Rome, 24 May 2023 – This morning Med-Or Foundation organized the first meeting of its International Board. A unique body in the Italian panorama, composed of leading figures from the international political, diplomatic, and academic worlds, from several countries of the Mediterranean and Euro-Atlantic area, the International Board is the organ that reflects Med-Or’s international projection. This first meeting, held at the headquarters of the Foundation, will be chaired by Med-Or Chairman Marco Minniti.
“We are proud to host, in our Foundation, such a high-level event. Our first meeting of the International Board represents a significant moment to promote a useful discussion on the future of the Mediterranean and strengthen the international projection of Med-Or, two years after its birth” – said Minniti.
During the first International Board’s meeting, take part in the proceedings: Ana Palacio (Spain), former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Spain, Senior Vice-President and General Counsel of the World Bank Group and member of the Council of State of Spain (Consejo de Estado); Prince Turki Al-Faisal (Saudi Arabia), President of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, formerly Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom and the United States and previously Director of the Saudi Arabian General Intelligence Directorate; Thomas De Maizière (Germany), Former Minister of the Interior of Germany (2013 to 2018) and previously Minister of Defence of Germany (2011-2013); Ebtesam Al-Ketbi (UAE), President and Founder of the Emirates Policy Center, Professor of Political Science at the United Arab Emirates University and Member of the Gulf Cooperation Council Advisory Commission; John Negroponte (USA), who has held numerous posts in US administrations, including Deputy Secretary of State of the United States (2007-2009), Director of National Intelligence of the United States (2005-2007), Ambassador to the United Nations (2001-2004), Deputy National Security Advisor (1987-1989) and also Professor at the Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia; Sir Alex Younger (UK), Former Director of the British government’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and Abdallah Bou Habib (Lebanon), Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon.
Among the participants also Said Djinnit (Algeria), Former United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region (from 2014 to 2019), and previously United Nations Special Representative for Western Africa (between 2008 and 2014) and also African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security (during the years 2003-2008); Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa (Bahrain), Advisor to the King of Bahrain on Diplomatic Affairs and previously Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain from 2005 to 2020; Frederic Gateretse-Ngoga (Burundi), Ambassador to the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; Rachid Mohamed Rachid (Egypt), former Minister of Foreign Trade and Industry of Egypt (between 2004 and 2011); Abdeta Beyene (Ethiopia), Executive Director of the Center for Dialogue, Research and Cooperation; Gilles Kepel (France), President Emmanuel Macron’s Special Envoy for the Mediterranean, renowned French political scientist and Arabist; Bernardino Léon (Spain), former Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (from 2014 to 2015) and then Director General of the Emirates Diplomatic Academy; Mohamed Ali Guyo (Kenya), IGAD Special Envoy for the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Somalia; Alia Hatoug-Bouran (Jordan), Senator of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, formerly Minister of Culture and Ambassador to the USA (2010-2016) and President of the PAM (Parliamentary Assembly of Mediterraneam) from 2019 to 2020; David Meidan (Israel), Former High Official in the Israeli government and in that role Netanyahu’s Special Envoy for the release of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
Finally, also participate Carmelo Abela (Malta), Former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office of Malta (2020-2022), Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion of Malta (2017-2020) and also Minister of the Interior and National Security of Malta (2014-2017); Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah (Mauritania), Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mauritania and United Nations Special Envoy for Somalia (2007-2010); Bahija Simou (Morocco), Director of the Royal Archives of Morocco; Karim El Aynaoui (Morocco), President of the Policy Center for the New South in Rabat and Vice-President of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat; Salim Mokaddem (Niger), Advisor to the President of the Republic of Niger; Radmila Šekerinska (North Macedonia), former Minister of Defence of North Macedonia (2017-2022), Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia (2002-2006, 2017- 2020) and also President of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (2006-2008); Khalid Al-Khater (Qatar), Director of the Policy and Planning Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar; Mayamba Cindy Mwanawasa (Zambia), Political Advisor to the President of the Republic of Zambia and Ali Abukar Hayo (Somalia), Special Envoy to Italy of the President of Somalia.
