It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Sweden and G teborg. I must say, it is very encouraging for a minister of education to see such a large group of student leaders from all over Europe assembled here. It is very important to the Swedish presidency of the European Union that student representatives should have a distinct voice in issues central to the future of education.
Students are the pioneers of the European spirit.
We must listen to you when we create policies for the future. This is why the Swedish presidency has lent support to this student convention, which is part of the process leading to the Prague meeting. By using exchange programmes strategically and encouraging mobility all over Europe we pave the way for enlargement. Students and teachers are already studying and working in large numbers in other European countries. They will get to learn other cultures and languages and thereby strengthen our European identity.