RAMALLAH, MAY 9, 2007 (WAFA) - A celebration was held in Ramallah Wednesday to mark the 57th anniversary of the Schuman declaration.

On the 9th of May 1950, Robert Schuman, the then French foreign Minister, proposed a new form of political cooperation among European nations, which marked the beginnings of what is now known as the European Union.

In his address to the assembled public, Mr John Kjaer, the head of ECTAO, described how the European Union had evolved through a common desire to "choose the path of peace over war, of cooperation over rivalry and of trust over distrust."

Mr Kjaer described some of the achievements of the European Union over the past 57 years, but added that the focus should be on what could be achieved in the next half century.

In particular, he stressed the importance for Europe of cooperating more closely with its neighbours and seeking common solutions to the challenges of the 21st century.

In his comments on the Palestinian situation, Mr. Kjaer acknowledged the difficulties faced by Palestinians in their daily lives. But he also stressed that "the EU was and remains determined to ensure that as much assistance as possible can still be channelled to the people, irrespective of the political situation."

He described how the Temporary International Mechanism had helped almost a million people in the West Bank and Gaza through social allowances, and how the TIM had helped to maintain vital services.

Reflecting on the EU's contribution in the region, in particular to the Middle East Peace process, Mr. Kjaer said that "the EU, with our often bloody history, our lessons on the fallacy of might over right, our desire to see the respect for democracy, human rights and international law as the basis for our relations with partners throughout the world, and finally our way of settling differences in a peaceful way - all these make us a privileged partner in the region."

A.D (22.15P) (19.15GMT)