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Speech of Vincenzo Lavarra, Member of the European Parliament at the Opening Ceremony of the 50th International Session of the European Youth Parliament
Mr. President, dear delegates, distinguished guests and authorities, I am honoured and pride to welcome you in Apulia for this very special occasion of the session of young European parliament. I am sure that my feelings are the same of all apulian citizens; our spirit of hospitality is world wide famous : you will feel yourself how we are opened to different cultures and foreign people. But most than this reason, I am very happy to welcome you in Bari because you Parliament session is one of the best example of the attempt of European Institutions to stimulate and increase the participation of European youngsters to the European decisional process. Since 2002, the year in which the Commission issued the Withe Paper on Young People, the European institutions are aware that only the participation of young people to the construction of a New Europe, can really give to all the opportunity to build the Europe of peoples that we have in our minds and in our hearts. The values of open minds and open borders, the tolerance, the positive attitudes to changes and cultural exchanges are all both European values and young people values. Only you young people have all the attitudes to strength the new European union democracy: the dream of our age will be the reality of next years, thanks to contribution of young European citizens. This is the indeed objective of Withe paper on young people: increase participation of young people the the political and institutional building and governance of European Union. Without a decisive contribution from young peoples the Governments will not be able to overcome the crise of the approval process of European Constitution. This is what we, Member of European Parliament and European citizens, expect from you young people: to give a strong contribution to European democracy and, consequently, a strong contribution to build you own future. You, dear delegates, you have already a positive thinking on European union and you are already working to these important objectives: your next important step must be trying to stimulate the maximum level of young people participation into this process. This is a very important political objective: to have not only European young people but most important to have European young citizens. We, members of European institutions, have to promote an increase of funding and financing of Lisbon process actions and initiatives; but it will most depend only on young Europeans if our economy will become the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world. Good work and all the best to this Bari session of young European parliament.
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