Since late 2005, the ECF has been in dialogue with cultural producers engaged in Euro-Mediterranean cooperation. At this time, the ECF advocacy department began focusing on developing cross-mediterannean cooperation between Euro-mediterranean and countries on the 'non-Euro' side of the mediterranean. As many resources, and energies are put into developing new networks between the cultural organisations and producers of different mediterranean regions, it was considered that one of the stages of ALMOSTREAL could look more deeply into artistic realities and possibilities for artistic cooperation in the region. ALMOSTREAL had already established contact with Beirut-based curator Christine Tohmé during the Amsterdam getogether. Based on this established contact, part of the ALMOSTREAL team went to Beirut in November 2005 during the Homeworks forum and to learn and to meet artists and cultural practitioners in the region, with the possibility in mind to develop a partnership or event for the second stage of ALMOSTREAL.