Celebrating 50 years of commitment to global peace, prosperity
May 9 is "Europe Day". It celebrates the day on which Robert Schuman, then foreign minister of France, proposed a new form of political arrangement for Europe, the aim of which was to make war between Europe's nations unthinkable.
His vision and foresight were confirmed earlier this year, when we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the European Union, the body created as a result of that famous declaration.
The EU has undoubtedly been a tremendous success. For 50 years, its members have enjoyed unprecedented levels of peace, prosperity, stability and liberty.
Over the years, it has evolved to be much more than a simple trading bloc coordinating members' trade policy and setting common tariffs. Today the EU is a political and economic project bringing together 27 European countries and almost 500 million people.
Our prosperity has grown out of a particular form of regional cooperation, which has developed hand in hand with a deeper commitment to democracy, human rights, the rule of law and solidarity with the weakest. This experience is the secret of our success.
In the years ahead, we will continue to work with our friends and partners and particularly with China, on the major issues confronting us all: climate change, energy security, conflict resolution and managing the forces of globalization.
We will also work to promote the values we hold dear and which we believe hold the key to our own prosperity - peaceful settlement of disputes, strong and respected international institutions, respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
On this symbolic day we reaffirm the objective we set ourselves for the next 50 years, using the achievements of the last 50 years, our wealth, peace and experience, not only to maintain our own standard of living, but also for the benefit of others.
The author is European Commissioner for External Relations and Neighborhood Policy
(China Daily 05/09/2007 page18)
