Europe Day: An Opportunity To Look Forward

By Nabilah Saleh KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 (Bernama) -- Today is the 55th Europe Day – a day intended, not only to look back at the history of European integration and its collective accomplishments, but also to look forward. So said, European Union (EU) High Representative Catherine Ashton in a statement issued in conjunction with Europe Day. According to the Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to Malaysia, Vincent Piket, the occasion represents the need to continue working hard on forging agreements which could take Malaysia-EU bilateral ties to another level. Piket's determination reflects Ashton’s statement which mentions that Europe should "engage globally". In her statement, Ashton pointed out that the coming year would be crucial for Europe's recovery and its future – in terms of not only EU’s internal handling of the economy and Croatia’s plan to join the EU in July, but also how the EU could engage globally. "Europe has always been outward-looking and open. We have consistently influenced the way the world thinks – in trade, the environment, climate change, the death penalty, the International Criminal Court and many other important issues," she explained. Ashton expressed her conviction that Europe must remain actively engaged around the world and that its international work would help to underpin its economic recovery. According to Piket, EU and Malaysia need to agree on two important points, namely, in the political arena and the free trade agreement. "If we achieve these goals, hopefully both the agreements could strengthen ties and move the relation forward to another level," he told Bernama at a reception held in conjunction with the 55th Europe Day on Tuesday. He pointed out that Malaysia and EU currently enjoyed good relations in all areas, including political and economic fields. Before the reception, the EU Delegation to Malaysia and the Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute had jointly organised a public debate on 'EU and Asean: Markets First or People First'. Participants in this debate included the Ambassador of Spain, Maria Bassols Delgado; Vice-Chancellor of Albukhary International University Prof Tan Sri Dzulkifli Abdul Razak; Chairman of the Malaysian Institute of Management Datuk Seri Mohamed Iqbal Rawther; and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Social Science, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Prof Neville Wylie. -- BERNAMA