Barcelona, Spain, 29 June. The President of EMUNI, Joseph Mifsud, was one of the first official guests of the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, H.E. Ahmad Masa'deh, at the Palacio Real de Pedralbes in Barcelona, the seat of the Union for the Mediterranean.

The Secretary General and President Mifsud had a lengthy discussion on the current situation within the Union for the Mediterranean, and on the various activities that EMUNI is conducting and organising as per its scheduled calendar for this year in the field of higher education and research. In a very cordial atmosphere, also attended by the cabinet of H.E. the Secretary General, the Secretary General applauded the efforts of Emuni in the field of higher education and demonstrated his support and commitment to EMUNI as the key player in the field of practical and pragmatic intercultural dialogue amongst citizens. The discussion also focused on a number of initiatives for students, young researchers and academics that can be put forward to the UfM and to the EU on innovative programmes, which promote brain circulation in the region.

President Mifsud also officially invited the Secretary General to open the General Assembly of EMUNI to be held in Ankara, Turkey in November 2010. This will bring together all the Presidents, Rectors and Directors of charter signatories of EMUNI for the annual meeting to be held in the Turkish capital.

The Secretary General accepted the invitation and offered to come to Ankara to show his personal appreciation to the work that EMUNI has been doing in the field of University cooperation. Further meetings have been programmed to continue the work in progress of this parallel relationship of EMUNI. President Mifsud was also taken on a tour of the Palace which will host the secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean.