Today, on 9 May, the European Union and its Member States celebrate Europe Day which marks peace and unity in Europe.

According to the EU Delegation in Georgia, on this day, Ambassador Pawel Herczynski made a video statement in Georgian congratulating the people of Georgia on Europe Day.

“We celebrate Europe Day, which is met by Georgia with European Perspective. This is a big achievement! The next stage is to receive a candidate status, which will bring Georgia closer to the EU membership. The vast majority of the population supports this goal. This is a historic chance to become a member of the united, prosperous and secure European family. I wish success to Georgia on this path! Happy Europe Day!”, said the Ambassador.

Ambassadors of EU Member States represented in Georgia also joined the celebration of Europe Day. In a video dedicated to this day, they describe in their native languages what Europe means to them.

In addition, a gala concert dedicated to Europe Day will be held today at Rustaveli National Theatre, where the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Nikoloz Rachveli will perform. The event will be opened by Salome Zourabichvili, President of Georgia, and Pawel Herczynski, Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia. It will be attended by representatives of the Georgian government, diplomatic corps, artists and media.

In Tbilisi, the Peace Bridge and the TV tower and in Batumi, football stadium will be illuminated in the colours of the European flag.

The Delegation of the European Union to Georgia has already held a large-scale event dedicated to Europe Day in Tbilisi on 6 May. More than 10 000 people joined the popular celebration, which took place at “Expo Georgia”. They had the opportunity to learn more about the European Union, participate in fun and interactive activities, take part in discussions and share European experiences and opportunities with each other.

Europe Day is celebrated around the world each year on 9 May, to commemorate the 1950 Declaration of Robert Schuman, the French foreign minister in place at that time. Schuman set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe, which would make war between Europe’s nations unthinkable, by asking them to share their coal and steel reserves. That concept was the beginning of what is today known as the European Union. Since then, and for the past 73 years, the EU has been developing, working, uniting and ensuring peace and prosperity for up to 447 million people across 27 countries of the world.