On 9 May, EUCAP Somalia celebrated the Europe Day in Mogadishu.
The Head of Mission Maria-Cristina Stepanescu and all staff members serving in the Somali capital joined a ceremony chaired by the Head of the EU Delegation to Somalia, Veronique Lorenzo, with the participation of the whole EU “family”, Somali authorities and representatives from the international community.
The 2017 celebrations of the Europe Day, held at the International Campus in Mogadishu international airport, are particularly significant as they mark the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaties, establishing in 1957 the European Economic Community, the founding stone of what would subsequently become the European Union.
The People’s House Speaker and acting President, Mohamed Osman Jawari participated in the event and made a speech for the occasion. Several ministers as well as the Mayor of Mogadishu also joined the celebrations, along with other representatives from Somali institutions and civil society.
The Head of the EU Delegation to Somalia, Veronique Lorenzo, said during her speech “I am delighted that having these celebrations in Mogadishu is now becoming a tradition – it is a testimony to the growing bond between the EU and the Somali people and to the fact that Somalia has come a long way on its path to normalization. The European Union is and will continue to be a strong, cooperative and reliable partner”.
Somali invitees and international partners shared an informal lunch and took home symbolic souvenirs (baseball caps, scarves, notebooks) commemorating Europe Day.
The EU Delegation to Somalia, along with the civilian mission EUCAP Somalia, the military missions EUTM Somalia and EU NAVFOR Atalanta work on a daily bases for a brighter future of Somalia and the region.
Background
EUCAP Somalia is a civilian EU mission, under the auspices of the Common Security and Defence Policy, which assists Somalia in strengthening its capacity to ensure maritime security.
