Europaudvalget 2013-14
EUU Alm.del
Offentligt
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Copenhagen,
06
JAN201{
MrHansHeinrichHansenRepresentativeoftheMinoritySafePackInitiativePresidentofthe FederalUnion ofEuropeanNationalities
MrHunorKelemenSubstituteRepresentativeoftheMinoritySafePackInitiativePresidentoftheDemocraticAlliance ofHunsarians in Romania
MinoritySafePackInitiativeDearMrHansHeinrichHansen andMrHunor Kelemen.
Thank youfor yourletterdatedOctober15,2013 regarding the strengtheningprotectionof minoritieswithintheUnion.
of
Protectionof minoritiesisindeed oneofthe values onwhichthe EuropeanUnionisbased.Asstatedinarticle2oftheLisbonTreaty,theUnionis foundedon thevaluesofrespectforhumandignity,freedom, democracy, equality,theruleoflawandrespectforhumanrights, includingtherightsofpersonsbelongingto
minorities.In Denmark,theborderlandhasformanyyearsbeenperceivedasanexampleofthegoodrelationshipbetweenDenmarkandourGermanneighbor.Ratherthandividing,theborderlandhasbroughtustogether.The basisoftheclosecooperationacrosstheborder isthe1955Copenhagen-Bonn declarationsaboutminorityrights.Based onthesedeclarations, both our countrieshave takencrucialstepstosecure
the existenceandwell-being ofourminoritiesonbothsidesoftheborder,culturally
-2-as
well
as
politically.Itisthesumofthatwhichgives theDanish-Germanminority
model its uniquecharacter.Onthat background
Icommendyour effortstowards ensuringculturalandlinguistic
diversitythroughout Europeandprotectingits nationalminorities.Iwishyouallthebestinyourcontinuedwork.
Yours sincerely,
