The President of the International European Movement, Pat Cox, visited Skopje on 21 March on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the EU. His Excellency spoke about today’s relevance of the Treaty of Rome in front of the diplomatic corps and the Macedonian European Movement .

“The lessons of the Treaty of Rome are relevant today to the EU and particularly to Macedonia's aspiration to be a full member of the Union. This aspiration has the full and unequivocal support of the International European Movement, Mr. Cox told the Macedonian Diplomatic Bulletin.

Asked about the future Europe Union and its place in the  world, Mr. Cox replied: "Given the rise of China, India, and eventually Brazil, there will be new powers in the 21st century. In that sense, Europe and the United States, in their own different ways, will note a relative decline. Not that we go backwards, but others rise. And if we want to avoid the decline, we should find strength in one another in Europe, rather than be divided, small and separated from each other. A united European Union, which is a strong voice in the global affairs, will do good for the Europeans in this period. And if we hadn't had the European Union as our gift in the last 50 years, we would have needed to invent it for the realities of the 21st century."