APS : Monday, 13 May 2019
ALGIERS- The European Union ambassador in Algeria John O’Rourke praised the peaceful popular marches in Algeria, hoping that they will lead to the prosperity and development of the Algerian
people and the region as a whole.
“The images of these incredible peaceful and citizen demonstrations we are watching for three months, strengthens our conviction. They allow us to hope that such a crucial episode of the History of Algeria, of which we are the privileged witnesses, will lead to prosperity and development, not only for the Algerian people, but for the region as a whole,” he said during a ceremony on the occasion of the “Europe Day,” celebrated on May 9th.
In an address published on the website of the EU delegation in Algeria, O’Rourke also welcomed the Algerian-EU cooperation, dubbing it “dense, varied and founded on solid partnership and which materializes the principle of living together.”
“Respecting the principle of Living Together is the essential prerequisite to all social project and all attempts to peaceful change. By adopting this principle, Algeria engages in an inclusive and united transition,” he added.
However, he said that the “history of the building of the European Union and the challenges which are still facing Europe, 60 years later, shows that a process of reform like the one engaged by Algeria is far from being an easy task.”
Speaking about Europe Day, he said that the EU wants to make a link this year between the celebration of Europe Day and the International Day of Living Together in Peace, which will be celebrated for the second time, on May 16th.
“While different social and identity tensions divide societies and sow discord between countries, we are all called to face the challenge of living together, with the conviction that differences between human beings constitute an asset in the “evaluation” that we would make of our different communities,” he said.
