New conflicts on the territory of Europe and beyond are a reminder that peace should never be taken for granted, said Minister of Sports and Youth Dragoslav Šćekić, adding that young people are the most important component in building sustainable peace.
As announced by the Ministry of Sports and Youth, Šćekić participated in the Western Balkans Youth Forum in Berlin, which was organized on the occasion of ten years of the Berlin Process, and was organized by the Regional Office for Youth Cooperation RYCO.
It is reported that Šćekić spoke on the panel about the European project through the lens of young people, with a special emphasis on the results achieved in the previous ten years in Montenegro and concerning young people, as well as cooperation with RYCO and joint projects.
"The essence of the European project in its beginning was the building of peace in Europe after the terrible destruction of the Second World War," Šćekić said.
As he added, the essence of the European project is not only an armistice, but also long-term peace in Europe, which for centuries was more or less in permanent conflicts.
"I especially want to tell the young generations in Europe and the region, who fortunately do not remember the trauma of war, that we must never take peace for granted, but always work for it. Unfortunately, new conflicts on the soil of Europe and beyond remind us of this," said Šćekić.
According to him, the European Union (EU) is not only an economic, but also a political community, the benefits of which are more than obvious.
He recalled that, after the Second World War, cooperation between the countries of the current EU began precisely around the "raw materials of war", i.e. coal and steel, with the establishment of the Economic Community for Coal and Steel.
"Today, it is important to understand that we must constantly work on building sustainable peace and that the most important component is young people, as the future generations who will lead Europe," Šćekić said.
As he added, this is done by providing opportunities for young people, education, acquisition of skills and inclusion in all processes that should contribute to the development of societies based on the universal values of democracy and human rights, and when it comes to Europe - especially the values of interculturalism, dialogue and tolerance.
"By investing in young people, we are directly working to strengthen democracy and raise standards, because new generations are creative and creative energy that brings new value," Šćekić said.
He emphasized that there is no doubt that all the countries of the region are clearly striving for this goal, as well as that Montenegro is making clear strides in this direction.
"We believe that it will be the next EU member state," said Šćekić.
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