Objective of EU Treaties Was Peace Says Mattarella

Messina: Economy was the tool of the process of integration of European States but its aim was peace after two world wars and the many conflicts that preceded them, President Sergio Mattarella said on Wednesday during the course of a lectio magistralis at the University of Messina, in Sicily.

According to Ansa News Agency, the process of institutional integration between European States started on July 23, 1952, with the Treaty creating the European Coal and Steel Community, signed in Paris on April 18, 1951, by six countries – Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, recalled the president.

Mattarella noted that while the economy served as the tool, the true objective of the Treaty was achieving a solid and long-lasting peace following the tragedy of numerous previous conflicts. He made these remarks at the inauguration of the academic year in Messina.

The project expanded over time, yet the objective remained unchanged: initiating an era of peace and well-being grounded in cooperation between States and fostering friendship among European populations, emphasized the head of State.