21.01.2010

Former High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and Secretary General of the European Union Council, Javier Solana, has been awarded with the XVIII Premio de Convivencia Manuel Broseta, an award given by the Spanish Foundation Profesor Manuel Broseta.

The ceremony was held on Thursday 21 January, at the headquarters of the EU Council in Brussels.

This year’s edition of this award has been given to Javier Solana as a recognition of his fruitful career in politics, particularly regarding his engagement in the defense of the ideals of coexistence and his active participation in the EU enlargement process, while contributing to the expansion of the democratic values and tolerance, which have been highly appreciated by the Profesor Manuel Broseta Foundation and the European Union.

The foundation was born as a response from the Valencian society to the death of the University Professor Manuel Broseta, an active defender of the democratic values, who was murdered by the terrorist group ETA in 1992. The Convivencia Award is given to those personalities that commit their lives to the defense of universal values such as freedom, justice, coexistence, respect and political pluralism.

Other personalities who have been awarded the Convivencia Award in previous editions include former Spanish Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez (1995), King Juan Carlos I of Spain (2006), the President of France Nicolas Sarkozy (2007) and Mijaíl Gorbachov, who was awarded in last year’s edition.

Click on the link below to visit Javier Solana's homepage:

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/app/Solana/default.aspx?lang=EN&id=246
Press release