Every year the European Union (EU) marks Europe Day, considered the National Day of the EU, on 9 May to celebrate peace, solidarity and unity in Europe.
After spending the past two years celebrating Europe Day virtually due to the then prevailing COVID-19 health crisis, the EU Delegation in Kuwait along with the 17 EU countries that have diplomatic missions in the country came together last Monday to celebrate Europe Day 2022 at the Multi-Purpose Hall in Shaheed Park.
In his opening speech at this year’s Europe Day celebrations at Shaheed Park, EU Ambassador to Kuwait H.E. Cristian Tudor stated: “Your Excellency Ambassador Naser Al-Hain, Assistant Foreign Minister for Europe Affairs, Your Excellencies the Ambassadors, Ladies and Gentlemen, and All friends of Europe in Kuwait, I would like to start by welcoming you today to our celebration of Europe Day in Kuwait. Although the EU Delegation in Kuwait opened in July 2019, this is the first time we hold such an event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I speak today on behalf of the European Union and all its Member States. I am now joined on the stage by all Ambassadors of the 17 EU countries who have diplomatic missions in Kuwait. Without their support, this event would not have been possible.
“On behalf of the European Union, I would like to extend my gratitude to the Amiri Diwan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Al-Shaheed Park management and LOYAC who facilitated the organization of such an impressive event in this wonderful Hall at Al-Shaheed Park.
“Europe Day celebrates solidarity and unity in Europe. Today, we mark the anniversary of the historic ‘Schuman Declaration’ that set out the idea for a new form of political cooperation, which is considered as the beginning of what is now the European Union.
“Unfortunately, we celebrate Europe Day this year with a war raging on our borders. Ukraine has come under a brutal aggression by Russia, which targets the same values of peace, freedom and democracy on which the European Union was founded. I am confident that Ukraine will eventually prevail with the will of its people and the support of its friends in the world, including the EU.
“H.E. Oleksandr Balanutsa, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Kuwait, is attending our event tonight and he is out in public for the first time since the beginning of the Russian aggression. ‘Dear Oleksandr, we stand with Ukraine!’
“Kuwaiti-EU relations are going from strength to strength. The latest example of EU recognition of our strong partnership is the recent proposal of the European Commission to lift Schengen visa requirements for Kuwaiti nationals. Another example is the first visit of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs H.E. Josep Borrell to Kuwait in March. This was the first visit at such a high level since the establishment of the EU Delegation in Kuwait. On this occasion, the High Representative had excellent discussions about the prospects to enhance EU-Kuwait cooperation with H.H. the Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. We are grateful to H.H. the Crown Prince for his strong support to EU-Kuwait ties.
“We were also delighted earlier this year to welcome the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister H.E. Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah in Brussels.
“We are planning to build on what we have achieved with plans to enhance cooperation at all levels and in all fields while identifying health, food security, education, digital and green transition as priorities. Regionally, the EU highly appreciates Kuwait’s mediation efforts in the region and is ready to continue working closely with Kuwait to develop new forms of cooperation and build a stronger partnership with Gulf countries on many issues including regional security.
“Another important area of the EU-Kuwait relations is to facilitate people-to-people contacts with a special focus on the youth. The EU marks 2022 as the European Year of Youth and in this context, we have invited many young people to this event so they can learn more about Europe and its diverse cultural heritage.
“For the European Union, Kuwait stands out as a close and reliable friend in these times of increasingly unstable and less secure world. I am confident that we will continue to deepen and diversify our cooperation for many years to come.” Ambassador Tudor concluded his speech by wishing everyone Happy Europe Day asking all to “Enjoy your evening!”.
In a style befitting the occasion, the EU delegation and member states in Kuwait organized the day-long Europe Day celebrations with an Eurovillage at the Park. The village featured information booths from the EU and stalls offering national food specialties, and showcasing the diversity of cultures that form the Union.
Among the food specialities presented at the national booths were candies, cheese and olive oil at the Spanish stall; an eclectic spread of Italian bread, pizza, olive oil, juices and other food products at the Italian booth, and traditional Czech rohlik bread and sweets at the Czech stall, while the Austrian booth featured traditional Viennese chocolate, and other delectable Austrian sweets, as well as the Viennese Coffee House Culture through speciality Julius Meinl coffee.
Another highlight of the occasion was live musical performances by award-winning European and Kuwaiti artists, which underscored the unique relationship between Kuwait and the EU.
Kuwait was the first Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country to sign a Cooperation Arrangement with the European Union. The agreement, which forms the cornerstone of bilateral relations, led to the first-ever Senior Officials’ Meeting between both sides in November 2018 — another first event of its kind among GCC states — and to the opening of the EU Delegation in July 2019. The Cooperation Arrangement has also paved the way for both sides to deepen dialogue and to engage in detailed discussions on various areas such as trade, investment, economy, human rights, security, humanitarian assistance, cooperation and development.
Kuwait and the EU have in the past co-hosted several international donor and relief conferences for Syria, Iraq, and the Rohingya people. In March, 2021 the EU hosted the fifth Brussels Conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region to advance the peace process and finally put an end to the humanitarian crisis as well as find a sustainable political solution after 10 years of the conflict in Syria.
Europe Day each year commemorates the Schuman Declaration of 9 May 1950, put forward by Robert Schuman, political thinker, activist and former Prime Minister of France. The Declaration initiated the process of European integration, often described as the longest Peace Project in history, and which eventually led to the formation of the EU in 1993.
The European Union was established as the legal successor to the European Communities (EC) through the Maastricht Treaty concluded in 1992 between the then 12 member states of the European Communities. Over the years, the number of EU members have grown from the six founding states — Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands — to a political and economic grouping of 27 European member states.
Spread across an area of over 4.2 million km2 the EU had at the start of 2021 an estimated combined population of about 447 million, that accounts for nearly 6 percent of the total world population, and the third largest population after China and India. The EU is also among the top three economies in the world and in 2021 generated a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of around US$17 trillion, or around 18 percent of global nominal GDP.
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