German Chancellor Angela Merkel has received the “Lamp of Peace,” a Catholic award for seeking the peaceful coexistence of peoples. Also visiting Assisi, Italy, was its last recipient, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.
Receiving the Franciscan award Saturday, Merkel said the route to peace and reconciliation was often only navigable with “great effort and much perseverance,” stressing it did not hinge on religious conviction.
Referring to strains in a supposedly united 28-nation EU, Merkel said it was necessary to look beyond the national rim, adding it must again be possible “to give Europe a soul.”
European countries must “look beyond the borders of our garden”. The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, points out that “very often we lose sight of how important our values and our basic convictions are: European integration is a project of peace, but this is not present on a daily basis” .
Merkel also spoke about the Italian situation, underlining how in our country she is “going through a demanding political phase” but refusing to comment on it. Instead, he emphasised “good cooperation” with Italy, which, given its proximity to Libya, faces “the challenge of African refugees: if we want to create peace we must not only think about our well-being. to work together with our neighbours for a search for a solution “.
Source DW, TGCOM 24
