(ANSA) - SARAJEVO - ''The Mediterranean Sea, cradle of Western civilization, can not continue to witness grief and despair.

Every single life is important and must be protected: for this reason, the EU commitment needs a change of pace''. This is what the Senate President Pietro Grasso said in Neum (Bosnia and Herzegovina), where he took part in the Conference of Presidents of the Parliaments of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, organized by the Bosnian Presidency. ''We are all waiting - Grasso continued - for today's summit of the European Council: we do have hopes that cannot be left disappointed. This morning, the Bosnian Presidency, along with Italy and all the Parliaments of the Adriatic Ionic Macro-region, launched from Neum an appeal to take action. The Mediterranean Sea, in all its complexity, must go back to being a sea that unites us''. The Bosnian Presidency and Italy released a final statement at the end of the meeting, calling for urgent action to face the humanitarian tragedy unfolding every day off the coasts of Sicily.(ANSA).