Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini on Monday said that EuroMediterranean (EuroMed) cooperation was essential in the fight against terrorism.

In a message to the third meeting of a EuroMed workshop set up by Milan's Chamber of Commerce, Fini said the creation of a EuroMed "area of prosperity and security" was an absolute priority for Italy.

"Dialogue and all-round cooperation ... are also essential instruments for fending off the threat, just as dramatically urgent, of fundamentalism and terrorism," Fini said.

He said last Thursday's London attacks "must strengthen our determination to pursue the path of dialogue with every means, in view of a future, hopefully as near as possible, of peace and prosperity."

In forums such as the EuroMediterranean Workshop, Fini said, politicians, industrialists and the media "can put forward ideas and proposals aimed at reinforcing interdependence between Europe and the southern rim of the Mediterranean, enhancing Italy's crucial role."

Milan Chamber of Commerce President Carlo Sangalli said: "The best antidote to violence is dialogue. The best way to prevent violence is knowledge and understanding."

He stressed that the forum's participants were set on "building a joint area of peace and development, starting with the values of business and work."

Source: Xinhua