Roberta METSOLA, EP President opens the plenary session on the 12th September in Strasbourg. Tribute to Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom (minute of silence), and to Mikhail Gorbachev, Former President of the Soviet Union. This transcript is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Strasbourg

plenary session

minute of silence

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

ELIZABETH II (UK, QUEEN)

GORBACHEV, Mikhail

president's agenda

Opening remarks by Roberta METSOLA, EP President: Tribute to Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom (minute of silence) and to Mikhail Gorbachev, Former President of the Soviet Union

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Thank you very much. So, dear colleagues. Few statements from my side. These past weeks have been very tough. We have witnessed the passing away of Mikhail Gorbachev, one of the most significant figures of the second half of the 20th century.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, We continue to face the consequences of climate change. Bulgaria and Pakistan have faced devastating floods. Major wildfires have caused severe impacts on member states such as France, Portugal, Spain or Greece.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, And now the world grieves the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Allow me to pause. On behalf of the European Parliament and to extend heartfelt condolences to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. Few have shaped global history, like Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and her words on European unity spoken in this European Parliament in 1992 still resonates today.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, And as a monarch, Her Majesty's unshakeable commitment to duty and service was an example to all. And her legacy will forever live on in spirit, inspiring many generations to come. So at this point, dear colleagues, I would like to invite you all to stand for a minute of silence to honour her memory.