Joint Statement – MED9 Informal Ministerial Meeting on Security and Resilience in the Mediterranean

Split, 9 April 2026

We, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Group of Southern EU Member States (MED9) and/or their representatives, met in Split on 9 April 2026, in the presence of Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica, at a time of heightened instability in the wider Mediterranean marked by escalating military conflicts in the Middle East which have direct impacts on our security.

Driven by the need to address the repercussions of the current crisis, we reaffirm our determination to work together towards a secure, resilient and interconnected Mediterranean.

We discussed different aspects of the crisis, including maritime, economic, energy and supply chain security, protection of critical infrastructure, environmental risks, potential migratory and refugee pressures, and hybrid threats.

We welcome the ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran, and we commend Pakistan and other regional actors for their mediation efforts. We jointly call for immediate cessation of hostilities, sustained de-escalation and adherence to the ceasefire across the region by all sides, including in Lebanon, which would enable further negotiations on lasting and sustainable peace. We are deeply concerned that violence regrettably continues on a large scale. This is unacceptable.We also call for full respect of international law by all parties, including the principles of the United Nations Charter and international humanitarian law, as well as international law of the sea as codified in the UNCLOS, especially regarding maritime security and respect for the freedom of navigation, including transit passage in the Strait of Hormuz. We express our deep concern that if ceasefire is not maintained the situation could further deteriorate, with significant implications for regional and global peace and security. We agree on the urgent need for strengthened coordination, outreach and pro-active policies, at regional and EU levels to support the dialogue and diplomacy and to address the challenges, in particular migration, maritime and economic security.

These developments underline the interconnected nature of current challenges and the need for a comprehensive and coordinated response, including on reducing the impact of the crisis on our regional partners, critical infrastructure, civilians, in particular the most vulnerable, and on our humanitarian efforts, including through possible humanitarian corridors. We expressed solidarity with the regional partners and reiterated the importance of continuing fostering the dialogue with our Mediterranian, Maghreb and Middle Eastern partners to promote mutual understanding and coordinated actions to address all regional issues.

In light of these challenges, we affirm our common goal of making the Mediterranean an area of peace, prosperity and stability for our citizens and our businesses. To this aim, we agree to strengthen our focus on having stronger regional coordination with North Africa and Middle East countries to highlight the need for a common strategic policy on key issues like energy and environment for growth and prosperity.

We welcome the Pact for the Mediterranean as a framework for advancing a more structured, balanced and forward-looking partnership with the Southern Neighborhood, based on mutual trust, shared responsibility and joint ownership. We take note of the ongoing work on its Action Plan, which will support its implementation through concrete actions. We also welcome the work of the Union for the Mediterranean in the coordination and implementation of projects of the Pact for the Mediterranean in relevant fields.

In this regard, we stress the importance of connectivity and the unlocking potential of the Global Gateway for sustainable global infrastructure. We particularly stress the key strategic value of the Mediterranean as a hub for diversified, resilient and efficient connectivity between global markets. In this context, we highlight the importance of connectivity projects such as IMEC, the logistic and economic corridor that will connect, through the Mediterranean, India, the Middle East and Europe. To this end, we call for a structured and all-encompassing dialogue among Member States within the Council of the EU on interconnectivity, as this is both crucial and timely in light of evolving geopolitical dynamics and increasing global competition over transport and energy infrastructure and digital networks, and in view of the urgent need to ensure resilient, secure and sustainable connectivity for the EU and our partners.

We share the importance of reinforcing our diplomatic efforts, cooperation, early coordination and mutual support among MED9 countries in all major international fora, as well as their role in shaping a geographical, thematical and operational 360o approach in all EU policies and toolboxes taking into account the Mediterranean dimension.

In this context, we agree to strengthen our coordination in appropriate formats and to make full use of the upcoming meetings under the Croatian MED9 Presidency to advance these objectives.