It is a great pleasure to be here, in Matera. 

Let me start by thanking the Italian government for this invitation. 

Your commitment to this community, and to projecting its millenarian heritage, enriches us all. For thousands of years, this city has been a consistent link across the Mediterranean. 

This was a key point of connection between Ancient Greece and Italy.  - It was an important trade node in Roman times.  - It was a contested point in the Middle Ages between Lombards, Byzantines, Arabs, and Normans.  - And it lived through the Renaissance under the rule of Aragon.

This past reflects the history of the Mediterranean. It embodies the many influences that enrich us all.  But in this diversity, there is also cohesion.  The same Sassi from thousands of years ago nourished families through hardship and war, through peace and abundance. 

They nourished a community: united by a shared space and a shared culture. And it was this community that turned Matera into a success story. Over the last 70 years, this city went from being called a purgatory to a true cultural paradise. The culmination of this work of urban regeneration, with the 2019 title of European Capital of Culture, should inspire us.  And it is certainly inspiring the initiative to make Matera a Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue.

Especially because this transformation never lost sight of what matters most – keeping the community at the centre. As the former Mayor of Dubrovnik, I understand well the importance of this focus. 

And I applaud this initiative’s determination to be truly inclusive, engaged, and community driven. I have worked hard to bring this to my current work – through the Pact for the Mediterranean, co-creating a common Mediterranean space with all our partners, on all shores of our sea.  We are bringing together concrete initiatives that put people first, investing in our shared prosperity, and protecting our shared security. 

Cultural heritage plays a key role in the Pact.  Take, for example, the Pact’s development of a network promoting cultural heritage, the creative industries, tourism and sport.  We know the power of networks and cooperation to boost the local economy. 

To empower local entrepreneurs and creatives.  To launch local artists to greater markets.  3 To bring a larger world to Matera.  Because there can only be a shared Mediterranean community if people share in its heritage.  If people participate in its culture. And education – another key initiative of the Pact is the Mediterranean University, creating joint programmes and supporting student and staff mobility across the region. 

These people-to-people contacts are fundamental for us to develop a shared understanding.  But they also represent a huge potential to create wealth for all of us – developing the skills your local economy needs. Dear friends, Matera is a towering example of what can be gained if we develop links between people, their spaces, and their history.

This is even more important now that the world is becoming more fragmented.  Because it is only by sticking together, by fostering real partnerships, that we can preserve what matters most to us.  4 So, it is fitting that Matera stands as a key example for our work in the Mediterranean region.  And I am proud to see that this initiative is bringing Matera together with Tetouan, in Morocco.  It is inspiring to see that artists and creatives can create a bridge between the peoples of the Mediterranean. 

After all, this is in the DNA of Matera.  It is what draws everyone to visit this beautiful community.

I hope to see the Mediterranean capitals of culture and dialogue initiative grow – thanks to the priceless efforts of the Union of the Mediterranean and the Anna Lindh Foundation. 

Because good examples and impressive work deserve to be shared with the world. 

Congratulations!