"Our idea is to every year have a city of the Mediterranean, of the Middle East, of Africa, or Europe, and of the Balkans that becomes in that year the capital of Mediterranean culture," said Italian culture minister Dario Franceschini on the sidelines of a plenary session of 30 culture ministers of the Mediterranean gathered for a two-day summit at Naples' Palazzo Reale.

"We are talking about it," he added. "Let's see whether the proposal will go forward." "We are working on a final statement that seriously commits countries to shared sensitivity as concerns countering the illegal trafficking of cultural goods as well as for youth exchanges and the circulation of art. This is an important agenda, but even sitting around this table is important," Franceschini said.