4
O
viedo
| C
ampoamor
T
heatre
| 18
th
O
ctober
1990
The new, united Europe that we aspire to will be the culmination of European history.The liberation
of the nations of Europe must necessarily culminate in self-awareness and self-knowledge, which
inevitably leads on to the ideal of freedom in its purest form. This concept is the very essence of
the European spirit.
The finest minds across Europe conceived and formulated this idea as being central to the
identity of European nations. Last year, its enormous capacity to bring peace and unity was
demonstrated by the historic changes that have significantly altered the political boundaries in the
East of our continent, and thereby in Europe as a whole. The terms “East andWest” are no longer an
ideological antinomy: they have recovered their original geographical meaning. Neighbourliness,
cohesion and cooperation: these are the benchmarks of the new Europe.
They will serve to build a united Europe on the foundations of freedom. The spirit of the
European Community was inspired from the outset by these three guidelines. Our German
community is a blueprint for the future global Europe.
Hans Dietrich Genscher
—
Prince of Asturias
Award for International
Cooperation
1990
Hans Dietrich Genscher was Minister
for Foreign Affairs of the German
Federal Republic between 1974 and
1992.
—
Excerpt from the speech given on
the occasion of receiving the Prince
of Asturias Award for International
Cooperation on 18/10/1990.
