Abu Dhabi: The 60th anniversary of laying the foundations of Europe (Rome Treaties) that led to the formation of the European Union (EU) in 1993 was celebrated in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, with the bloc’s political and economic achievements highlighted at the event.
Hosted by the Emirates Diplomatic Academy (EDA), the event was attended by Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, EU delegates and European ambassadors and heads of missions from countries including Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. The bloc’s anniversary comes at a challenging time, with events such as Brexit, and the rise of populist far-right European leaders who wish to exit the EU.
“Tonight we are here to remember the origins of the EU and to discuss its present and future in the challenging context of the world today,” said Patrizio Fondi, Ambassador of the EU in the UAE.
“The idea of the European Union was born to prevent any upcoming wars in Europe and promote economic integration. Now the EU is the first trading partner and the first foreign investor for almost every country in the globe,” he added highlighting some of the success the EU has enjoyed since its inception.
Fondi acknowledged some of the challenges currently faced by the EU, but was adamant that it remained the best political model for Europe.
“The Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the EU in 2012 serves as a symbol of a successful project to advance peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe,” he said.
Fondi also spoke positively on the EU’s partnership with the UAE, citing the Schengen visa waiver as one example of the strong diplomacy between both groups.
“The delegation of the EU to the UAE was opened in 2013 and became part of the network of 139 EU delegations in the world to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation,” he said.
“The Schengen visa waiver and increasing bilateral trade numbers are among the main achievements so far. Continuous collaboration on security, energy, climate change, humanitarian and development aid is promoting common values and commitment of both, the EU and the UAE,” he added.
Bernardino Leon, president of the EDA, mentioned the victory of Emmanuel Macron in the French presidential election as proof that the EU could face the challenges of far right populism.
“We saw with the recent triumph of Emmanuel Macron, leaders in Europe remain capable of successfully moving people by effectively communicating principles of tolerance and cooperation,” he said.
“The UAE shares those principles, being a nation that has also always trumpeted peace, tolerance and unity,” he added.
Leon also touched on the mutual beneficial relationship between the EU and the UAE, particularly in trade.
“Trade between the EU and the UAE currently exceeds €55 billion. By the end of 2015, the UAE was the EU’s seventh largest export destination. The European economy, for its part, was the UAE’s single largest trading partner, he said.
“The long-standing friendship between the UAE and the EU creates economic, political and cultural benefits across Europe and the Middle East,” he added.
