These annual conferences are a regular part of the economic dialogue between the EU and its Mediterranean partners, and strive to foster a better understanding of the policies and issues related to the process of economic transition in the Mediterranean partner countries.

This year’s conference examined the role of financial and banking services and their pivotal position at the heart of economic transition.

During the conference’s two days of plenary sessions and working groups more than 300 visitors participated in discussions on comparative advantages and drawbacks of the Mediterranean region in various financial fields, on reforms implemented and still to be implemented, on results achieved and challenges which remain, and on the heterogeneity of the region with respect to all these issues.

Among the key speakers were Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium; Andrej Bajuk, Minister of Finance of Slovenia; Jihad Azour, Minister of Finance of Lebanon; Durmus Yilmaz, Governor of the Central Bank of Turkey; Jihad Al Wazir, Governor of the Palestine Monetary Authority, Lobna Helal, Sub-Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt; Marek Belka, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe; and Fathallah Oualalou, former Finance Minister of Morocco.

This year’s conference followed the Euro-Mediterranean Foreign Ministers’ conference in Lisbon, in November 2007, at which ministers renewed their commitment to supporting investment, job creation and economic and social reforms, while also welcoming strategies based on a wider range of financial instruments for the fostering of private sector development.

The Economic Transition conferences are an annual event under the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. They provide an informal forum for open debate on key economic policy issues under the Partnership.