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Masadeh appointed secretary general of Mediterranean Union

AMMAN (JT) - Ahmad Masadeh, the Kingdom's ambassador to the EU, Belgium, Norway and Luxembourg since 2006, was appointed secretary general of the nascent Union for the Mediterranean on Tuesday.

Masadeh, also the Jordanian Coordinator to the Union for the Mediterranean and Representative to NATO, was selected Tuesday by a unanimous decision passed by the permanent representatives of the union's member states during their meeting in Brussels, according to a statement from Jordan's embassy to the EU.

This decision was referred to the foreign ministers of the union for a final endorsement within a period of two weeks in order to enable the new secretary general to assume office at the union's secretariat headquarters in Barcelona, Spain, no later than the middle of next month.

In a speech following his selection at yesterday's meeting, Masadeh thanked all the member states of the union for his selection to this prestigious international post. He stressed that establishing the secretariat opens a new page for Euro-Mediterranean cooperation and cements the principles and values that are at the core of the union.

Moreover, he added, it is a manifestation of the seriousness of all parties to this project and their belief in its objectives. Masadeh said: "We will build on the various achievements we have accomplished thus far in a manner that promises to realise more closeness between the north and south of the Mediterranean."

He reiterated Jordan's founding values and policies, as constantly voiced by His Majesty King Abdullah, which are based on attaining security, stability in addition to prosperity for the peoples of the Mediterranean. He underscored that such values and policies turned the Kingdom into a microcosm of modernity, cultural and historical heritage as well as political and economic openness with all countries of the world.

"Your decision today is but an attestation to Jordan's vital regional role which is based on values of moderation, openness, reconciliation and integrity," Masadeh added, vowing to maintain these values while performing his new duties.

Masadeh, born in Jordan in 1969, holds a PhD from King's College London. He has several publications in the legal field. He boasts a vast commercial legal background being an attorney and a university professor specialised in international trade, investment and projects. He is also a member of the boards of major companies like Royal Jordanian, the Jordanian national carrier, as well as international institutions like the World Trade Law Association in London and the World Bank International Centre for Settlement of Disputes.

The Union for the Mediterranean was officially launched at the Paris summit in July 2008 and incorporates 43 European, Middle Eastern and North African countries.

According to the embassy statement, the union aims to establish a regional cooperation structure that would contribute to achieving peace, stability and growth in the Mediterranean basin, as well as to form comprehensive economic, social and cultural partnerships between European and Mediterranean countries.

© Jordan Times 2010