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May 29 08 11:34 AM

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Turkey's culture minister would attend a European-Mediterranean conference in Greece, his office announced on Tuesday.

Turkish Culture & Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay will head a Turkish delegation that would participate in the European-Mediterranean (EuroMed) culture ministerial meeting in the Greek capital of Athens.

A statement of the Turkish ministry said that participants would discuss ways to improve cultural dialogue in the meeting to take place between May 29th and 30th.

The conference will end after a final declaration is released.

Also, journalists who have won the cultural dialogue EuroMed journalism contest will get their awards in the conference.

In November 1995, following a European Council decision, a Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Foreign Affairs Ministers was held in the Spanish city of Barcelona. It marked the starting point of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, also known as the EuroMed Partnership for short, or, as the Barcelona Process, after the name of the city. It was the first comprehensive policy of the European Union (EU) for the region.

The then 15 EU Member States (today 27) and 12 Mediterranean countries (10 after the Greek Cypriot administration and Malta joined the EU) agreed on the Barcelona Declaration laying the foundations of a new regional relationship. Aimed at achieving peace, stability and growth in the region, it covers political, economic and social cooperation and represents a turning point in Euro-Mediterranean collaboration.

Thirty-seven countries make up the Partnership: the 27 EU Member States and 10 Mediterranean partners (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey). Libya has had observer status since 1999.

The Foreign Affairs Ministers of these countries oversee the development of the EuroMed partnership. They meet periodically to monitor the application of the Barcelona Declaration and define actions.

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." ~~John 15:5~~