Women thought leaders share expertise at EIB MED conference

The EIB Group employs impressive women thought leaders, some of whom spoke at the EIB MED conference in Barcelona, Spain.

The EIB MED Conference saw decision-makers come together to explore how to leverage the European Union’s Economic and Investment Plan for Southern Neighbours and also its new Global Gateway strategy to strengthen investment in the green transition, infrastructure development, digitalization, and social inclusion across the Mediterranean region.

At the EIB MED Conference, the EIB Group confirmed €3 billion in support for investment across the southern Mediterranean to strengthen economic resilience & food security, improve health & education, increase Sustainable Transport and accelerate ClimateAction.

Gelsomina Vigliotti discussed strengthening sustainability and economic resilience

European Investment Bank (EIB) Vice President Gelsomina Vigliotti highlighted the EIB's commitment to reinforcing cooperation across the Mediterranean region through investments that help strengthen resilience during these challenging and uncertain times.

"The EIB MED conference allowed us to reaffirm our shared goals of strengthening sustainability and economic resilience across the Mediterranean, one of the region's hardest hit by climate change. Our mission, as the EU bank, is to provide high-impact public and private investment to ensure lasting stability, prosperity, and sustainable development throughout the whole region," shared Gelsomina.

"We are at the critical time, a time in which we have to promote growth investment and inclusion, and we can do a lot for these countries if we partner with them to create opportunities for business, for education, and for health," she continued.

"This conference delivered a new strengthened partnership because when you have all these people gathering together discussing project opportunities, there will be a sense of cooperation and coordination that will be extremely useful. It will support our investment and help create a business environment within these countries that can flourish, especially during these difficult times in which we have to find the right way to push forward the sustainable growth."

Minister of International Cooperation reinforced importance of collaboration

During the EIB MED Conference Closing Remarks, the Minister of International Cooperation for the Arab Republic of Egypt, H. E. Rania A. Al Mashat highlighted the long-term cooperation between Egypt & the EIB as well as the key role that the EIB MED Conference plays in helping address new and longstanding investment needs in the Mediterranean region.

Hélène Le Gal discussed importance of an inclusive approach

During the EIB MED opening session on The Mediterranean Nexus, the Middle East & North Africa Managing Director for European External Action Service (EEAS), Hélène Le Gal, spoke about the importance of partnerships with the Mediterranean region in an ever-evolving global context.

"Concrete objectives become more complex in today's more fluid geopolitical context. I believe that one of the keys to success for our Southern partnership is to set up an inclusive approach on an equal footing with the countries of the Mediterranean," explained Hélène.

"Our partnership with southern neighborhoods is as important as our partnership with Eastern neighborhoods - we are the same community, we are interlinked in many ways, and we are in interdependent. It's important in the southern neighborhood that everybody joins forces, such as investments from the private sector, from Banks, and public money from the European Union member states, because there is a huge need for the growth of jobs for a partner for sales and neighborhood, and we need to do it together," said Hélène.

Henrike Trautmann spoke about collaboration being key

EU Neighbourhood & Enlargement Acting Director for the Neighbourhood South, Henrike Trautmann, took part in the EIB MED Conference closing ceremony where she highlighted the importance of the partnership with the EIB to address the pressing challenges facing the Mediterranean region.

"The collaboration with the EIB exemplifies the Team Europe spirit in the Southern Neighbourhood. We work together to understand our partners' needs, support the implementation of the Economic and Investment Plan and make the best use of the tools at our disposal, from policy dialogue, support to reform and the roll-out of projects in key sectors," commented Henrike.

"We need to work with all the actors there. First and foremost we need to work with the governments, they also need to own the reform agendas that we're trying to help them to implement, we work with the partners - obviously EIB being one of the major partners amongst the international financial institutions (IFI's) - but there's a lot of other Banks. Then civil society even needs to also get involved, because the people also need to feel that what we're doing is actually helping their lives - it can't only be an agenda that's run by governments. Then of course we work a lot with the member states who are all present in the southern neighborhood who have big programs running and with the Team Europe approach we also try to make this all a little bit more 'hanging together' discussing beforehand who does what and also how we can synergize and boost our investments in the different parts of the countries," said Henrike.