“What does Europe mean to you?”
Robert Wilton, Political Advisor from
the ICO, gave a lecture today at elementary school Elena
Gjika in Prishtinė/Priština. He first asked the students
what they knew about Europe and the European Union, and
together they tried to make the list of all member states.
Then, with the help of the students, Robert Wilton explained
the main characteristics of the European Union. He first
insisted on the importance of diversity and richness of the
EU, as there are 27 member states and more than 150 regional
languages. Then explained what the core values of the
European Union are, such as peace, freedom and justice.
Students were eager to participate in the discussion and
proved to know a lot about Europe. Robert Wilton reminded
them of the history of the Union, from the Schuman
declaration in 1950 and the first Treaty in 1957 to the
current integrated internal market, where freedom of
movement is essential.
About Kosovo and the European Union, Robert Wilton stressed
that it is a long and complicated process to integrate the
EU, as there are many technical aspects to care for. A
discussion followed about the criteria that candidate
countries must fulfill before they can join the EU. Students
also gave their opinion on the development of Kosovo and its
European perspective.