The EU’s foreign policy and the future of integration: these are two of the items on the agenda of the meeting that is in progress at the EU Parliament in Brussels today, organised in honour of Javier Solana, High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union, who won this year the Charles the Great Award. The award, which is given by the German city of Aachen, is given for contributing to the building of a united Europe. Today’s meeting will be chaired by the president of the EU Assembly, Hans-Gert Poettering, and will be attended by two European politicians, who also won the award in the past: the Polish Bronislaw Geremek (1998) and the Irish Pat Cox (2004). The debate will address regarding the integration of peoples and states of the continent the role of intercultural dialogue, a subject that has been emphasised by president Poettering. Who yesterday lit on the occasion of the Hanukkah, the Jewish feast of the lights the flame for dialogue on the menorah, the seven-armed candlestick, he was given as a present by the rabbi of the Jewish Centre of Europe. During the ceremony, Poettering placed stress on the value of dialogue between different cultures and religions and on "the common roots of Jews and Christians".
