Immediately after the opening of the session, EP President David Sassoli makes a statement on the 30th anniversary of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its importance for the future of Russia and Europe. This transcript is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

plenary session

EU - Russia (T)

SASSOLI, David Maria (S&D, IT, S&D, IT)

keynote speech

president's agenda

The 30th anniversary of the dissolution of the Soviet Union: opening statement by David SASSOLI, EP President

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, The next item on the agenda is the question of the anniversary of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its importance for the future of Russia and Europe. Colleagues, to kick off this debate, this act of memory, we need to go back 30 years.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, The collapse of the Soviet Union was a process rather than a single event. But it was something that many people couldn't even imagine happening.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, It broadly long period of the Cold War to the end to an end. And many former states of the Soviet Union are members of the European Union today, the passage to democracy requires years, as does the building of new institutions new procedures. Change of habits and mindsets. Our relations with Russia are not in a good way at all.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, Today, relations between the EU and the Russian Federation and the crisis on our eastern borders doesn't hold out much hope that they're going to improve anytime soon. We mustn't renounce our European values. Of course, we want to support the Russian people as they want to change their country.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, But it's very difficult to build democracy, and it's easy, unfortunately, to lose it if you don't look after it. Democracy is basically something built on trust, the trust of citizens in their own institutions. This trust needs to be renewed every single day. It needs to be allowed to grow like a capital and looked after like a good investment.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, I'll give the floor to the EPP speaker. You have two minutes.