At the end of May 2026, our Founder and Executive Director Fabio Bargiacchi, participated in a series of high-level institutional engagements and public events held between Lecce and Matera, dedicated to Europe’s strategic future, Euro-Mediterranean relations, energy cooperation and partnerships with Africa.
These activities represented a continuation of the collaboration initiated in Brussels in October 2025 with the signing of the agreement between ECES and AREAWI, aimed at promoting a new vision of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in the field of digital culture and strategic dialogue across the Mediterranean region.
On that occasion, José Manuel Durão Barroso — former Prime Minister of Portugal, former President of the European Commission and representative of the European Union awarded the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize — joined the initiative and expressed his desire to visit Matera, recognising the city as one of the most emblematic cultural destinations of Southern Europe.
Several months later, this vision materialised through a series of conferences, institutional meetings and cultural exchanges in Southern Italy, with the participation of Fabio Bargiacchi alongside President Barroso.
The first major engagement took place in Lecce within the framework of the Festival dell’Energia, one of Italy’s leading platforms for discussions on energy policies, sustainability and geopolitical transformations. On 28 May 2026, Fabio Bargiacchi interviewed José Manuel Durão Barroso during the conference entitled “Energia e corridoi per l’Europa: Mediterraneo, reti e nuove alleanze”.
The discussion focused on Europe’s energy future, Mediterranean connectivity, infrastructure corridors and the geopolitical relevance of emerging strategic alliances in a rapidly changing international environment. Particular attention was dedicated to the Mediterranean region as a strategic crossroads linking Europe, Africa and the Middle East, as well as to the importance of strengthening cooperation through sustainable partnerships and long-term strategic vision.
The programme continued in Matera on 30 May 2026 with the conference “The Strategic Future of Europe in the Context of Current Geopolitical Challenges and the Interactions with Africa and the Mediterranean Region”, held at Casa Cava.
The event brought together institutional representatives, experts and civil society actors to reflect on Europe’s evolving geopolitical role and on the importance of reinforcing relations between Europe, Africa and the Mediterranean region through dialogue, cooperation and strategic partnerships. Discussions addressed common challenges affecting the Euro-Mediterranean space, including connectivity, energy cooperation, economic development and regional stability in the context of profound global transformations.
The participation of ECES in these events reflects the organisation’s longstanding commitment to promoting international dialogue, democratic cooperation and partnerships across Europe, Africa and the Mediterranean region.
Beyond the institutional meetings and public conferences, the mission also represented an important opportunity to strengthen cultural dialogue and mutual understanding through guided visits across several symbolic cities of Southern Italy, including Lecce, Matera, Otranto and Alberobello.
For ECES, it was a particular honour to accompany President Barroso in discovering the beauty, history and cultural richness of these territories, highlighting the role of culture and heritage as essential dimensions of Euro-Mediterranean dialogue and cooperation.
ECES would also like to express its sincere gratitude to Frank Caracuta for his generosity and invaluable support during the activities in Lecce; to José Manuel Pinto Teixeira, Vice President of ECES, for his constant support and valuable contribution; as well as to Roberto Rizzo and AREAWI, longstanding media partners of ECES, for their extraordinary commitment, professionalism and continued collaboration throughout the organisation of the Matera mission and over many years of partnership.
Their support greatly contributed to the success of these important engagements and to the promotion of dialogue and cooperation across the Euro-Mediterranean region.
