The G7 and the European Union expressed their “grave concern” on Monday 9 May after the appointment as head of Hong Kong for the next five years of the former British colony’s security chief, who had overseen the crackdown on the pro-democracy movement and the severe political takeover that followed.
In a statement, the heads of diplomacy of the G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) and the EU said the process and the resulting appointment was a “radical departure from the goal of universal suffrage and further erodes the ability of Hong Kongers to be legitimately represented.
“Electoral Committee”
The only candidate, John Lee 64 years old, was nominated on Sunday by a small committee of 1,461 personalities representing the political and economic elite, all of them supporters of the Chinese regime. “We are deeply concerned by this continuing erosion of Hong Kong’s political and civil rights and autonomy,” the G7 and EU heads of diplomacy added, calling the process that led to John Lee’s appointment “part of a continuing attack on political pluralism and fundamental freedoms. They urge the new Chief Executive to “respect the rights and freedoms protected in Hong Kong” and to ensure that the judicial system “upholds the rule of law.
The appointment of John Lee, sanctioned by the United States for his role in the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2019, had already been condemned by the European Union.
“The selection process” of this former police officer in charge of the city’s security, “is a new step in the dismantling of the principle ‘one country, two systems’. The Chinese and Hong Kong authorities must respect their national and international commitments,” Borrell said on his Twitter account.
John Lee will take office on July 1 and has promised to strengthen national security and accelerate the integration of Hong Kong with China.
Interview with Olexander Babanin on the logistics of WHO support to Ukraine
Olexander Babanin is Logistics and Operations Officer for WHO, and is responsible for organizing the transportation of essential medical supplies and equipment from storage facilities to locations across the world. In this interview, Olexander explains how WHO decides which supplies are needed, how they are distributed and how they might be used, in the particular context of Ukraine.
The war in Ukraine has not only badly damaged or destroyed many health facilities, but it has disrupted supply chains of medical supplies to affected areas. Domestic production of supplies has been curtailed by bombings. Supplies are needed, not just to treat those injured in the conflict, but to care for many trapped in the country without access to medication, including those with chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.
Where are WHO’s emergency medical supplies coming from?
Most supplies come from WHO’s central logistics hub, located in Dubai’s International Humanitarian City. The hub was established in 2016 to aid global preparedness and response to emergencies, and allows vital medical supplies and equipment to be stored and rapidly dispatched in response to health emergencies all over the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the hub grew rapidly to manage 85% of WHO’s medical commodity response. WHO is also receiving individual shipments of specific supplies for Ukraine from vendors all over the world. These arrive in Warsaw, Poland via air and road and are then driven across the border into Ukraine.
What particular kind of supplies are being sent to Ukraine?
WHO is working with partners to deliver hundreds of tonnes of life-saving equipment and medication to Ukraine. WHO emergency supplies include standard medical kits; oxygen and oxygen generators; transfusion kits; electrical generators; cold chain elements (e.g. fridges); defibrillators (for heart attacks); monitors; ventilators; ambulances; and personal protective equipment, including chemical protection suits.
WHO is also supplying Ukraine with hundreds of trauma and emergency surgery kits (TESKs) that can be used for performing operations on up to 50 patients, as well as interagency emergency health kits (IEHKs)
Why are the TESKs so important and what do they consist of?
Trauma kits help local surgeons, clinicians and nursing staff carry out life- and limb-saving procedures. They are particularly needed during conflict situations, when the quality of care and rapid treatment of wounds is crucial for significantly reducing the chance of death and lifelong disabilities. In war zones, the environment in which this care is delivered, and the complexity of wounds that require treatment can be challenging, but the versatility of trauma kits means they can be used even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Within these kits, therefore, we include:
drugs and medicines, including morphine, antibiotics and anti-tetanus treatment;
disinfectants and gloves;
anaesthetics;
dressings, plaster-cast material and splints;
general and specialist surgical instruments to conduct a range of operations including bone surgery, skin grafts and caesarean sections.
How are the IEHKs different?
The IEHKs provide essential medicines and medical devices to fill immediate medical gaps for up to 10 000 people for approximately 3 months, including treatments for cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases and diabetes.
They contain:
drugs and medicines, including antibiotics, eye ointments, vitamins, painkillers, insulin and drugs to relieve allergic reactions;
medical devices and equipment, such as catheters, forceps, stethoscopes, thermometers and blood pressure monitors;
general supplies, including aprons, bandages, cannulas, tourniquets and syringes.
How do these kits and others supplies get to where they are needed?
WHO/Europe’s Operational Supply and Logistics (OSL) team, together with headquarters’ OSL team, organize convoys of needed supplies from WHO stock in Dubai and from other distribution centres via Poland to Ukraine.
The WHO Country Office in Ukraine receives and stores supplies upon arrival and organizes distribution according to a plan agreed with the Ministry of Health.
How are in-country needs assessed and who is receiving WHO supplies?
The Ukrainian Ministry of Health constantly updates the Country Office on evolving needs, and liaises to distribute supplies to health departments at oblast level as soon as they arrive.
The supplies are then distributed to every corner of the country, reaching both acutely and chronically ill people, those injured in the ongoing war and those needing care for a range of chronic conditions.
Seventy-seven years later, President Putin and his regime now chose to invade Ukraine in an unprovoked war of aggression against a sovereign country. His actions bring shame on Russia and the historic sacrifices of its people. Through its invasion of and actions in Ukraine since 2014, Russia has violated the international rules-based order, particularly the UN Charter, conceived after the Second World War to spare successive generations from the scourge of war.
Today, we were honoured to be joined by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. We assured him of our full solidarity and support for Ukraine’s courageous defence of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and its fight for a peaceful, prosperous and democratic future within its internationally recognised borders, with the liberties and freedoms that so many of us enjoy today.
Today, on 8 May, we, the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), alongside Ukraine and the wider global community, commemorate the end of the Second World War in Europe and the liberation from fascism and the National Socialist reign of terror, which caused immeasurable destruction, unspeakable horrors and human suffering. We mourn the millions of victims and offer our respect, especially to all those who paid the ultimate price to defeat the National Socialist regime, including the western Allies and the Soviet Union.
President Zelenskyy underlined the strong resolve of Ukraine to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. He stated that Ukraine’s ultimate aim is to ensure full withdrawal of Russia’s military forces and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine and to secure its ability to protect itself in the future and thanked G7 members for their support. In this regard, Ukraine emphasised that it relies on its international partners, in particular on G7 members, in providing necessary assistance in the domain of defense capabilities, as well as with a view to ensuring a swift and effective recovery of Ukraine’s economy and to securing its economic and energy security. Ukraine has entered into discussions with international partners on security mechanisms for a viable post-war peace settlement. Ukraine remains committed to working closely with G7 members to support Ukraine’s macroeconomic stability in the face of the challenges posed by the full-scaled Russian invasion, massive destruction of critical infrastructure and disruption of traditional shipping routes for Ukrainian exports. President Zelenskyy noted his country’s commitment to uphold our common democratic values and principles, including respect for human rights and the rule of law.
Today, we, the G7, reassured President Zelenskyy of our continued readiness to undertake further commitments to help Ukraine secure its free and democratic future, such that Ukraine can defend itself now and deter future acts of aggression. To this end, we will pursue our ongoing military and defence assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, continue supporting Ukraine in defending its networks against cyber incidents, and expand our cooperation, including on information security. We will continue to support Ukraine in increasing its economic and energy security.
Together with the international community, we, the G7, have provided and pledged additional support since the start of the war exceeding USD 24 billion for 2022 and beyond, in both financial and material means. In the coming weeks, we will step up our collective short-term financial support to help Ukraine close financing gaps and deliver basic services to its people, while also developing options – working with the Ukrainian authorities and international financial institutions – to support long-term recovery and reconstruction. In this regard, we welcome the establishment of the International Monetary Fund’s Multi-Donor Administered Account for Ukraine and the European Union announcement to develop a Ukraine Solidarity Trust Fund. We support the World Bank Group’s support package to Ukraine and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s Resilience Package.
We call on all partners to join our support for the Ukrainian people and for refugees, and to help Ukraine to rebuild its future.
We reiterate our condemnation of Russia’s unprovoked, unjustifiable and illegal military aggression against Ukraine and the indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, which has resulted in terrible humanitarian catastrophe in the heart of Europe. We are appalled by the large-scale loss of human life, assault on human rights, and destruction that Russia’s actions have inflicted on Ukraine.
Under no circumstances can civilians and those not taking an active part in the hostilities be legitimate targets. We will spare no effort to hold President Putin and the architects and accomplices of this aggression, including the Lukashenko regime in Belarus, accountable for their actions in accordance with international law. To this end, we will continue to work together, along with our allies and partners around the world. We reaffirm our support for all efforts to ensure full accountability. We welcome and support the ongoing work to investigate and gather evidence on this, including by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, the independent investigation commission mandated by the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s mission of experts.
We further condemn Russia’s attempts to replace democratically elected Ukrainian local authorities with illegitimate ones. We will not recognise these acts in violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
We will continue to counter the Russian strategy of disinformation, which deliberately manipulates the global – including the Russian – public in the hope of shrouding the Russian regime’s culpability for this war.
Our unprecedented package of coordinated sanctions has already significantly hindered Russia’s war of aggression by limiting access to financial channels and ability to pursue their objectives. These restrictive measures are already having a significant impact on all Russian economic sectors – financial, trade, defence, technology, and energy – and will intensify pressure on Russia over time. We will continue to impose severe and immediate economic costs on President Putin’s regime for this unjustifiable war. We collectively commit to taking the following measures, consistent with our respective legal authorities and processes:
First, we commit to phase out our dependency on Russian energy, including by phasing out or banning the import of Russian oil. We will ensure that we do so in a timely and orderly fashion, and in ways that provide time for the world to secure alternative supplies. As we do so, we will work together and with our partners to ensure stable and sustainable global energy supplies and affordable prices for consumers, including by accelerating reduction of our overall reliance on fossil fuels and our transition to clean energy in accordance with our climate objectives.
Second, we will take measures to prohibit or otherwise prevent the provision of key services on which Russia depends. This will reinforce Russia’s isolation across all sectors of its economy.
Third, we will continue to take action against Russian banks connected to the global economy and systemically critical to the Russian financial system. We have already severely impaired Russia’s ability to finance its war of aggression by targeting its Central Bank and its largest financial institutions.
Fourth, we will continue our efforts to fight off the Russian regime’s attempts to spread its propaganda. Respectable private companies should not provide revenue to the Russian regime or to its affiliates feeding the Russian war machine.
Fifth, we will continue and elevate our campaign against the financial elites and family members, who support President Putin in his war effort and squander the resources of the Russian people. Consistent with our national authorities, we will impose sanctions on additional individuals.
We continue to work with our international partners and invite them to stand with us and to follow suit with similar actions, including to prevent sanctions evasion, circumvention and backfilling.
President Putin’s war is causing global economic disruptions, impacting the security of global energy supply, fertiliser and food provision, and the functioning of global supply chains in general. The most vulnerable countries are affected most severely. Together with partners globally, we are stepping up our efforts to counter these adverse and harmful impacts of this war.
President Putin’s war against Ukraine is placing global food security under severe strain. Together with the United Nations, we call on Russia to end its blockade and all other activities that further impede Ukrainian food production and exports, in line with its international commitments. Failure to do so will be seen as an attack on feeding the world. We will step up efforts to help Ukraine to keep producing in view of the next harvest season and exporting, including by alternative routes.
In support of the United Nations Global Crises Response Group, we will address the causes and consequences of the global food crisis through a Global Alliance for Food Security, as our joint initiative to ensure momentum and coordination, and other efforts. We will closely cooperate with international partners and organisations beyond the G7, and, with the aim of transforming political commitments into concrete actions as planned by various international initiatives such as the Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission (FARM) and key regional outreach initiatives, including towards African and Mediterranean countries. We reiterate that our sanctions packages are carefully targeted so as not to impede the delivery of humanitarian assistance or the trade of agricultural products and reaffirm our commitment to avoid food export restrictions which impact the most vulnerable.
The G7 and Ukraine stand united in this difficult time and in their quest to ensure Ukraine’s democratic, prosperous future. We remain united in our resolve that President Putin must not win his war against Ukraine. We owe it to the memory of all those who fought for freedom in the Second World War, to continue fighting for it today, for the people of Ukraine, Europe and the global community.
Secretary-General António Guterres said on Sunday that he was appalled by an attack on a school in Bilohorivka, eastern Ukraine, where many people were sheltering from the ongoing fighting.
Bilohorivka is close to the Government-held city of Severodonetsk, where heavy fighting was reported in the suburbs on Saturday.
“This attack is yet another reminder that in this war, as in so many other conflicts, it is civilians that pay the highest price,” Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement on behalf of the UN chief.
According to news sources, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that around 60 people were killed after a bomb hit the school.
One Ukrainian newspaper said that Bilohorivka had become a hot spot during fighting last week.
After Saturday’s attack, the UN chief again reiterated that civilians and civilian infrastructure “must always” be spared in times of war.
“This war must end, and peace must be established in line with the Charter of the United Nations and international law,” the statement continued, assuring that the UN and its humanitarian partners in Ukraine “will continue supporting those whose lives have been shattered by war”.
At the same time, the head of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Catherine Russell tweeted out her strong condemnation.
“We do not yet know how many children might have been killed or injured in the reported bombing, but we fear this attack has just added to the hundreds of children who have already lost their lives in this war,” she said.
She echoed others in underscoring that schools must never be attacked or used for military purposes.
“Targeting civilians and civilian objects…is a violation of international humanitarian law,” she said, describing this latest attack as “blatant disregard for civilian lives”.
Mariupol evacuees
Mr. Guterres issued a second statement welcoming the arrival on Sunday of a new group of more than 170 civilians into Zaporizhzhia from the Azovstal steelworks and other areas of Mariupol.
The successful evacuation operation was coordinated by the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
“My thoughts are with them and all the people in Ukraine who are suffering in this war,” said the UN chief.
Determination applauded
He went on to thank everyone involved in the “complex operation”, including the leaders in Kyiv and Moscow who ensured the necessary humanitarian pauses.
“I applaud the determination and courage of the UN and ICRC teams on the ground,” he said.
This latest safe passage operation brings the number of civilians who have been safely evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks and other areas of Mariupol to over 600.
“I urge the parties to the conflict to spare no effort to secure safe passage for all those wishing to leave, in any direction they choose, and for aid to reach people in need,” the Secretary-General concluded.
Testimony of spirit
Meanwhile, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told journalists at a press conference in Kyiv yesterday that for the last two days he has been “deeply moved” by what he has seen and heard inside the country.
“My time here has affected me very personally. As someone…who grew up in a warzone myself, I understand only too well how the people of Ukraine feel – the worry for family and friends, the fear, the sense of loss and so on,” he said.
No stranger to the devastation of war, he lauded the “extraordinary resilience” of the Ukrainians.
“They have not given up [but] kept going, repairing essential services to stop the destruction [from] making a deeper hole in their lives,” said Tedros.
Since the war began in February, WHO has verified 200 attacks on health care in Ukraine.
The WHO chief spelled out that “these attacks must stop. Healthcare is never a target”.
He spoke of the bravery, humour and kindness that he witnessed amidst the suffering, along with stories of the “spontaneous, often ingenious ways” people have found to help and protect one another.
“Some of those I am talking about are our own WHO staff, who, although they have lost their homes, fear for their families, deal with daily uncertainty, and have kept working to support the health needs of the people of Ukraine,” Tedros said.
Most needed medicine: Peace
While the WHO team in Ukraine continues to work tirelessly to support the country and will do everything possible to back the Government in treating the injured, maintaining health services, and repairing the health system.
However, he pointed to “one medicine that WHO cannot deliver, and which Ukraine needs more than any other, and that is peace”.
“So, we continue to call on the Russian Federation to stop this war,” concluded the senior UN official.
Pop singer Madonna would like to talk to Pope Francis about “some important things”. The queen of pop tweets inviting the pope to meet her, although her last confession, she said, was a long time ago. “Hello, Pontiff Francis. I am a good Catholic. I swear! It has been several decades since I last confessed. “Would it be possible for us to meet one day to discuss some important things?” She wrote on Twitter. In her 40-year career, Madonna is equally famous for her hits and clashes with the Catholic Church. Throughout her career, Madonna has proudly been at odds over her understanding of topics such as sex, same-sex love, and Christian symbolism. Pope Francis has not yet responded to Madonna’s invitation to a meeting.
Express.co.uk reminds, the star’s 1989 music video Like A Prayer featured burning crosses as well as an erotic depitction of Jesus.
A year later, Madonna featured gyrating nuns on her Blond Ambition tour and faced backlash from the church.
Pope John Paul II called it “one of the most satanic shows in the history of humanity”, The Guardian reported.
In 2006, Madonna came under fire once again after performing a mock crucifixion on a Roman stage.
Scientists have listed the most intelligent representatives of the fauna – dolphins, monkeys, elephants, cats and dogs.
Each of the winners of the rating has special abilities in a certain area.
So, primates – gorillas, chimpanzees, gibbons and monkeys – perfectly understand speech and are even capable of reciprocal communication.
Dolphins are not far behind the monkeys. In the “lexicon” of marine mammals there are about 14 thousand signals with a certain meaning. And dolphins are great companions who will never leave their brothers in trouble.
Smart gray giants are also capable of communication. And elephants communicate quite noisily – stomping on the ground with their huge feet. Other animals become aware of the approach of the elephant herd by sensing the vibration.
The mind of dogs is undeniable. Faithful friends of a person can learn up to 200 commands.
Cats are also trainable, moreover, they are smarter and more cunning than dogs.
Activists of the Polish eco-organization Open Cages demanded the immediate closure of a mink farm in Bulgaria after an on-site investigation in Bulgaria.
About 100,000 animals are killed annually on the farm near Stara Zagora. The skins are exported, including to the countries of the European Union, according to the organization.
“I have been an investigative activist for many years and I have seen the worst atrocities that can be committed to animals. However, what I saw was shocking even for us,” said Bohna Viltovska, director of Investigations and Interventions of Open Cages.
“In 2021, activists from Open Cages and the Bulgarian organization Invisible Animals conducted an investigation into the last functioning mink farm in Bulgaria, where about 100,000 animals are killed annually,” said Bogna Viltovska.
The results of the investigation show the terrible conditions under which the animals are kept in Magerito. Mink live in damaged, broken and dirty cells, full of food and excrement. A significant proportion of their animals are injured or dead, and workers do not regularly remove the bodies of dead animals. It happened that the bodies of the animals were left so long that they fused with the cage.
It is worth emphasizing that the farm under investigation has a WelFur industry certificate, which should guarantee the welfare of the breeders – among other things, and adequate nutrition, living conditions and health. However, the investigation proves that this certificate is only a facade and does not provide the animals with the necessary living environment in any way.
Mink, which managed to escape from their cages, fled the farm and the surrounding area without control, posing a serious risk to biodiversity and the environment. The American mink is considered an invasive species (a species that has been introduced accidentally or intentionally into an alien habitat and occupies a dominant position over the local flora or fauna in the competition for resources).
The Open Cages Association, registered in Poland, has been operating since 2012 with the help of “people who want to change the fate of farm animals” and is associated with the Danish “Anima International”, offnews.bg reports.
Britain has announced a new package of sanctions against Russia and Belarus in response to the invasion of Ukraine, affecting trade worth 1.7 billion pounds, which aims to seriously reduce the Kremlin’s ability to finance the war in Ukraine.
The Ministry of International Trade said the new import tariffs apply to a number of goods, including platinum and palladium. The export ban affects trade in chemicals, plastics, rubber and machinery. Thus, the value of products subject to British sanctions will amount to more than 4 billion pounds.
The new import tariffs cover £ 1.4 billion worth of goods, while the export ban affects more than £ 250m worth of products in the sectors of the Russian economy that are most dependent on British goods.
International Trade Minister Anne-Marie Travelian said that “the British authorities are determined to do what is necessary to thwart Putin’s goals in Ukraine and prevent the illegal invasion that led to barbaric actions against the Ukrainian people.”
The ministry said the third round of trade sanctions, which excludes gold and energy, would affect more than 96 percent of Russia’s imports and more than 60 percent of Britain’s exports to Russia.
In 2020, Ioana Marinescu and PlushBio were the victims of a disinformation campaign through scoial media that tried – but failed – to put the company out of business.
We are talking about threats that were made to the founders, employees & influencers who were using our products. At one point, the influencer was threatened for her child’s life…” — Sinziana Ecaterina, spokesperson for PlushBio.
BRUSSELS/BUCHAREST, BELGIUM/ROMANIA, May 9, 2022 – At the prestigious Brussels Press Club, at the heart of the European Union’s decision-making centre, alongside the European Commission, the European Council, and just a stone’s throw from the European Parliament, journalists and EU political advisors specializing in corruption issues heard on the 5th of May the story of Ioana Marinescu, a pharmacist, entrepreneur, and founder in 2016 of PlushBio Cosmetics.
In 2020, Ioana Marinescu and PlushBio were the victims of a disinformation campaign that tried – but failed – to put the company out of business. In April of that year a Facebook group was created, with social media “influencer” Nicoleta Dragne apparently alleging that ”PlushBio destroyed my face”. The group was created around 9 girls who had “troubles” with PlushBio products. Some 150 influencers stopped promoting the products, some allegedly having received threats. We are talking about threats that were made to the founders, to the employees, to the influencers who were using our products. We even had a case at one point where the influencer was threatened for her child’s life…Sinziana Ecaterina, spokesperson for PlushBio.
Rapid response? Delegates at the high-level conference heard that social media platforms are hot-beds of fake news. “Social order and democracy are under threat from fake news, that is a well-proven fact,” said EU Today journalist Chris White, adding that some 3 billion people use social media. “I have heard that if you complain the platforms will take stuff down, but it’s already spread to tens of thousands of people before it’s taken down.” PlushBio spokesperson Sinziana Ecaterina, however, stated that attempts to communicate with Facebook over libellous postings had, unfortunately, proved fruitless. “Social order and democracy are under threat from fake news, that is a well-proven fact,” said EU Today journalist Chris White, adding that some 3 billion people use social media. “I have heard that if you complain, the platforms will take stuff down, but it’s already spread to tens of thousands of people before it’s taken down.”
Online reputation management Andy Vermaut, prominent European journalist and online reputation manager, suggested that legislation is required to force social media platforms to respond more quickly when fake news is reported. He also introduced the concept of a ‘digital identity card’ that would make it possible to identify the purveyors of fake news, libel, and slander. In the first move of its kind, the UK government is currently working on an Online Safety Bill: “It will determine whether social media remains a wild west saloon or whether it becomes a more curated space… Tweets, blogs and videos would be reviewed and scanned for ‘harmful’ content,” wrote James Forsyth in The Times (May 6th). “For sure,” Crisis Management Consultant Radu Turcescu said: “we need some protections from social media, because social media really can destroy a company and someone’s life. All relevant Romanian control institutions gave PlushBio an OK regarding their factory and products. No one had found anything wrong. After 2 years, no investigation bodies found any merit to the complaints, therefore no charges were formally brought against either the company or the founder. All PlushBio products conform to current Romanian laws and regulations.”
The conference at the Brussels Press Club attracted a great deal of interest. People with bad intentions can really destroy a company.
On Monday 9 May 2022, on Europe Day, COMECE President Cardinal Hollerich praises the Conference on the Future of Europe and expresses hopes for further initiatives promoting citizens’ participation in shaping the EU. The Cardinal restates the Catholic Church’s commitment to continue being a faithful and honest companion of the EU project. On future EU membership: “Ukraine and all other European countries that have applied, need a credible accession perspective”.Statement
On the occasion of the closing event of the Conference on the Future of Europe, H. Em. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conference of the European Union (COMECE), restates the commitment of the Catholic Church in Europe to continue being “a faithful and honest companion of the European unification process”.
In his statement, Cardinal Hollerich recalls the timeless values promoted by the Schuman Declaration released on this day 72 years ago, highlighting the need to preserve peace and security, achieving sustainable growth and prosperity through exercising parts of national sovereignty together.
The President of COMECE praises the Conference on the Future of Europe as “an audacious experiment in citizens’ participation across cultural, linguistic and political borders”. He also expresses hopes for new participatory EU initiatives building upon the Conference, making the EU citizens active protagonists of the European project.
Referring to the tragedy of war returning to European soil with the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Cardinal Hollerich hopes that “peace in Europe and the world will become less fragile” and the use of weapons less frequent.
In this context, the President of the EU Bishops urges the institutions of the European Union and the Member States to offer “a positive and realistic response” to Ukraine’s request for future EU membership, while giving “a credible accession perspective” to all other European countries that have submitted their application.
Throughout the Conference on the Future of Europe, whose idea was launched at the end of 2019, COMECE actively contributed offering a Catholic perspective on today’s key challenges and citizens’ concerns, such as demographic, digital and ecological transitions, youth empowerment and the role of the EU in the world.
