Some 41 Foreign Ministers and ambassadors from European and Arab countries meeting in Malta agreed on a plan to enhance intercultural dialogue around the Mediterranean.

The representatives from countries forming part of the UN Alliance of Civilisations, adopted an action plan and strategy that should see Mediterranean countries work towards “added value intercultural dialogue”.

“Transcending our present difficulties of living together is not an option, it is an obligation,” the High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilisations, Jorge Sampaio said after the conference, held at the Radisson SAS.

The alliance now has to consider some 24 projects by civil society organisations, which promote the objectives of the action plan to battle racism and promote dialogue.

The Mediterranean, Dr Sampaio said, was a major expression of cultural diversity, making Malta an ideal choice for the first regional meeting of the Mediterranean for the alliance.

When asked what he thought of Malta, a relatively monocultural society with its own problems of racism, Dr Sampaio said: “Malta’s rich history speaks for itself.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said the unanimous, seamless approval given at the conference was a sign that members intended to move on.

Earlier, he emphasised with delegates at the conference, the important role governments play to enrich cultural dialogue, above all, the role of states that form part of the Alliance of Civilisations.

Governments, he said, must do their utmost to ensure action encouraged citizens to reach out to people across cultures and fostered a disposition to tolerate different beliefs and traditions.

He invited those present to conscientiously analyse the sources and consequences of the common concerns and challenges being faced and would have to face in the coming decades.