On May 9, 1950, French Foreign Minister Schuman presented a proposal for the creation of the European Community of Coal and Steel, pooling together French and German coal and steel production -- resources needed to wage war -- under a common high authority, within an organisation open to other European countries. This was the founding stone of what would become the European Union, initially including six member states. Rising from the ashes of the Second World War, countries that had been bitter foes for centuries decided to pool their resources and unite their destinies, making conflict among themselves unthinkable and ensuring over 70 years of unprecedented peace and cooperation.
The European construction is a true miracle after centuries of bloodshed. It has also become an attractive model of what countries can achieve, if they renounce aggression and put their differences aside, striving to work together under a rules based approach and shared values, towards a common good. Over the decades, the number of countries willing to cede parts of their sovereignty to supranational European institutions and join hands towards common peace and prosperity steadily increased. Presently, the European Union counts 27 member states and an ever-growing number of candidate and potential candidate countries.
Today, security and stability in Europe and beyond are once again under threat, as the unprovoked and unjustified Russian aggression against Ukraine defies the core principles of the UN Charter. The latest UN Resolution, voted on Feb 23 by 141 countries including Thailand, deplores the aggression, reaffirms Ukraine's territorial integrity and calls for an unconditional withdrawal of Russian forces and for a just peace. In front of this major challenge, the EU stands more united than ever, strengthening its own commitment to a just peace in the framework of the rules based international order. Unity is our response to all major global threats, from conflict to climate change, from the pandemic to the economic woes that are not sparing our continent. United we stand for international law, fair and sustainable development and universal human rights. These are the main pillars of the EU building and the tenets of its external action, working together with international partners.
