Presidents of Croatia, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Slovenia Adopt Declaration “Appeal for the Mediterranean”

In light of the catastrophic forest fires and other natural disasters facing the people and countries of the Mediterranean Basin, the Presidents of the Mediterranean countries of the Arraiolos Group agreed and adopted the Joint Declaration “Appeal for the Mediterranean” to raise awareness of an effective and rapid response to the consequences of the climate crisis. Six Heads of State, including the President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanović, call on all Mediterranean countries, the European Union and the international community to join collective efforts to halt and reverse the effects of the climate crisis. The following is the full text of the Declaration:

APPEAL FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN

“As expected, the climate crisis has arrived and reached explosive proportions, so much so that there is now talk of a ‘state of climate emergency’. The UN Secretary General at the end of July called the current crisis a state of ‘global boiling’. Its effects are especially visible in our region, the Mediterranean, which is severely affected and at immediate risk of not only water and electricity scarcity, but also of floods, widespread heat waves, fires and desertification. Extreme natural phenomena are destroying the ecosystem and threatening our daily life, our way of life.

There is no more time to waste, no more time to compromise for political or economic reasons. It is imperative to act and take urgent effective initiatives. All Mediterranean countries must coordinate and react, engage in a collective effort to halt and reverse the effects of the climate crisis.

It is the duty of all of us to act in this direction and to adopt concrete policies to this effort. Raise public awareness, educate and inspire in everyone the ethics of environmental responsibility. Not only for the present, but also for the future of our children and generations to come.

The Heads of State of the following Mediterranean countries and members of the Arraiolos Group pledge to fully support joint action initiatives and appeal to the European Union, other Mediterranean countries and the international community to keep this issue high on their political agenda.”

Zoran Milanović, President of the Republic of Croatia

Katerina Sakellaropoulou, President of the Hellenic Republic

Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic

George Vella, President of the Republic of Malta

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Portuguese Republic

Nataša Pirc Musar, President of the Republic of Slovenia

FOTO: Ured predsjednika Republike Hrvatske / Filip Glas