HIBAPRESS – Shafiq Anouri
The European Union is preparing to expand the "Erasmus+" program to include Morocco within a new initiative called the "Mediterranean Pact," which aims to enhance academic exchange and university cooperation between Europe and the countries of the southern Mediterranean, led by Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt.
According to the "infobae" website, the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, announced the launch of a comprehensive plan to strengthen educational and cultural relations with the countries of the region, noting that Morocco will be one of the main beneficiaries of this initiative, which includes facilitating the issuance of visas for Moroccan students, expanding scholarship opportunities, and establishing joint programs and certificates between Moroccan universities and their European counterparts. The source explained that this step comes within the framework of a European trend to restore its influence in the Mediterranean region, in light of the growing Chinese and Russian roles there, indicating that the European Commission intends to double its budget allocated to cooperation with the countries of the south, reaching 42 billion euros. "infobae" added that the plan includes launching the "Mediterranean University" project, which will connect higher education institutions in Europe with countries such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, and Palestine, with the aim of encouraging creativity and exchanging academic and research experiences among young people. The "Mediterranean Pact" is expected to be officially presented to the EU countries and their partners in the south during November 2025, coinciding with the celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of the "Barcelona Process," with the detailed action plan to be implemented in the first quarter of 2026.
