COLOGNE/ Germany - October21, 2015----- The Annual Meeting of the Euro- Mediterranean- Arab Association (EMA) witnessed the signing ceremony of a strategic partnership agreement with Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org) during which TAG-Org also received an appreciation certificate for its efforts in supporting the Arab- European economic cooperation. 

The meeting was chaired by HE Mr. Christian Wulff , the former president of the Republic of Germany and the attendance of the Mayor of Cologne HE Mr. Ralph Hainan.  

In his speech, HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh announced the establishment of a regional office for EMA in the offices of TAG-Org in Amman as well as a program to organize a diplomatic forum in capitals of the Arab countries, where ambassadors of the Arab and European countries can discuss topics of economic and social cooperation. 

Based on this partnership, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh welcomed the cooperation to establish German schools in the Arab countries as the pattern of American, British and French schools. 

As well, he highlighted the position of Germany towards refugees from the region reminding that Germany hosted, in the year 1946, approximately 10 million refugees, as a consequence of the World War, and was able to give an example for positive and constructive capacity. 

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh added, while we study, at the international level, the targets of development after 2015 (after the millennium goals) we must add the objective of asylum, based on the feeling of international responsibility for the causes of asylum and the advantages for host countries, as proved by the German experience. 

He concluded by mentioning that the region is passing through a phase similar to the dark ages Europe lived in the past and will emerge from this phase as Europe emerged to the renaissance era.