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The European Union’s birthday has been celebrated for more than 60 years on May 9 and marks “the launch of a great project that guarantees security and prosperity across Europe,” reads the greeting of Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis on the occasion of the Europe Day.

On May 9, 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman presented a proposal of European integration, which led to the creation of the European Union. The first words of the proposal, which is known as the Schuman Declaration and a starting point of the European integration, were as follows: “World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it.” 

“Creative efforts of the EU initiator have led to the creation of a peaceful, unified and prosperous Europe step by step. Today, the vision of a strong and unified European Community that was formed in the second half of the 20th century became a reality – the unification of Europe resulted in previously unprecedented wealth and prosperity,” Ažubalis said.

He believes that Europe has been continuously changing, becoming more modern and continues to successfully solve all challenges for the sake of the growth of all member states, the prosperity of citizens, freedom and security. This has become especially obvious when European member states consolidated in the face of the debt crisis.

“The European Union is a space for peace, solidarity, economic prosperity and freedom. The EU also continues to pay particular attention to boosting and promoting European economic recovery and growth, job creation, also energy security issues are being solved effectively, the EU internal market is further deepened,” the Minister says.

According to him, when facing problems concerning the crisis of public finance, the EU member states in solidarity are solving issues related to the strengthening of the financial stability funds and responsible fiscal policy. With an aim to boost economic growth, integration of internal markets is deepened in the fields of the provision of services, digital economy and in other spheres.