(ANSA) - The president of the southeast Italian region of Puglia, Nichi Vendola, has called on nations in the Mediterranean region to compete less and cooperate more.
Speaking here at the Bari Industrial and Trade Fair, Vendola said "we need to make cooperation in training and innovation permanent and focus more on cooperation in the Mediterranean than on competition."
"We have no time to lose because in one year alone countries like China have taken giant steps and made up for 100 years," he added.
In this era of globalization, Venola observed, "we (in the Mediterranean) are like bats which have lost their radar and fly into each other. In order to move forwards, we need to synchronise our efforts with what is going on in the rest of the world."
"This includes creating a network of the best we can offer and create integrated systems, for example in the management of port facilities," the region president said.
