The Alliance of Civilisations, supported by the United Nations and chaired by Jorge Sampaio, who spoke at the European Parliament, "aims at improving mutual understanding and cooperation between nations and peoples of different cultures and religions and, in this sphere, at helping fight the forces the fuel polarisation and extremism". The Alliance is currently supported by a "circle of friends", i.e. a community of over 85 member states, organisations and international agencies. In his speech at the European Parliament, Sampaio insisted on "some fundamental questions that we have to ask ourselves at this stage: how to make the Muslim communities living in the EU fit in with European society? How to outline a foreign policy based on the European values of democracy, peace and development?" Then, Sampaio pointed out that it is urgent "to work for the respect of diversity, to promote social cohesion, relying on the historical values of Europe, freedom, the laicism of the institutions and the contribution to dialogue that can be made by the religious faiths".
