I am honoured to be your guest and to address this distinguished Assembly. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe follows your work very closely. We appreciate every opportunity for dialogue with your Assembly, which includes not only some member states of the Council of Europe but also several from its ‘neighbourhood’ [1]. We look forward to deepening our cooperation further on a wide range of matters of common concern.
As we meet here today, two highly important – and related – events come to my mind: the Second World War and the creation of the Council of Europe.I think of the end of the deadliest war in the history of mankind that devastated Europe sixty-four years ago. This country paid a very heavy price in human lives [2]. We owe the eternal remembrance to all those who fought to restore peace in all Europe – and beyond.
1. That is, and some Central Asian republics (, , and ).
2. The figure that is often quoted is 20 million dead throughout the former .
When peace was broken, the unity and solidarity of European countries was sorely tested. Yet Europe learned the lesson of the war and the courageous visionary men launched an ambitious project – the idea of a more united Europe. Step by step, brick by brick, we have built what we call the big European home.
This home of Europe’s largest family – 800 million Europeans – is the Council of Europe, founded on 5 May 1949. Bringing together 47 countries, with the most varied histories, cultures, languages and experiences, around a core of common ideals – it is the boldest political design that history has ever known.
Today, we can take pride in the many achievements accomplished together. Our values and action across Europe speak to the world at large. And the viability of our Organisation at the age of 60 (sixty) is a proof that the true pillars of any caring society are democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Every day – together – we continue cultivating democracy across our continent by fostering dialogue, citizen participation and co-operation among our countries. With a conviction and a moral force, we lead by example and inspire other countries in the world to follow these noble principles. I should also stress the growing importance of parliamentary diplomacy in that respect, as our respective assemblies (the PACE and the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly) pursue similar goals.
Our work is not finished. Our values are potent but vulnerable. Just as “Rome was not built in one night”, we keep on building Greater Europe every day. Rooting our values in daily life, protecting human dignity is an unfinished task and a mission that should guide our efforts.
We have to seek to embed these values and rights in the culture of our citizens through coherent (social) policies by our countries and organisations. As our society evolves with the globalisation, we must be prepared to preserve our acquis while embracing change and the challenges of new reality. Turning to the future, we should transcend our differences and assert political will to work for progress in our society, with a sense of responsibility for the future generations.
I look forward to following the discussions during this plenary session and also taking part in the Nevsky Ecological Congress tomorrow.
