My wife and I are greatly honoured to be here with you today and above all to have this opportunity to get to know your homeland, dear Sergio. You know I have often travelled to Italy, but until now I have never got as far as Sicily. What an omission, I would say! And as a German I really ought to have known: even Goethe said, Italy without Sicily leaves no impression on the soul: it is only here that we find the key to everything. And although I have only been here a few hours, in that brief time I have at least got a sense of what he meant.

Sicily is the millennia-old cradle of European culture. Evidence of triumphant greatness and historical upheaval rubs shoulders with seemingly untouched, raw nature. And then there is the incredible beauty of this part of the world. Sicilia bedda, beautiful Sicily, as Franco Battiato described your homeland, Sergio. Italy and Germany are connected by so many things: the European Union, of which we were co-founders, our partnership as NATO allies, and of course our cooperation in the G7, G20 and many other institutions. But even more than in the realm of politics, our countries are linked by very personal, very intensive human relationships – through friendship and friendships.

Just a few weeks ago, you, Sergio, mentioned the political impact of friendship in a speech in Rimini: It is the blossoming friendship between the people that has shaped the progress of humanity. The fact that the German-Italian friendship has grown ever closer over the decades is also down to the more than 400 German-Italian town twinning partnerships. Weaving these bonds of friendship even closer is a matter dear to both our hearts, and we both know that it is also a form of insurance against resentment, against prejudice, against nationalism, against everything that drives the people in our countries apart. That is why, together, we established the German-Italian town twinning prize in autumn 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, to promote interaction and dismantle prejudice. For we must keep reminding ourselves of that which we in Europe have in one another, that which unites us and that which, together, makes us strong.

The town twinning partnerships have been part of a good European normality between our countries for more than 70 years. They are not the responsibility of those in power. Perfectly ordinary citizens, school pupils, associations, cultural groups and choirs, youth groups and pensioners, and not least, you, the mayors, are the ones who sustain these partnerships, who promote exchange and learn from one another. Who, even in towns where 80 years ago Germans perpetrated the most appalling massacres, stand together for reconciliation and for a friendship that, given our common history, can never be taken for granted. The town twinning partnerships are much more than joint remembrance of the past, they are an affirmation of a common European future. In your communities we can see how Europe can succeed. All of you are ambassadors for cohesion in Europe.

And now a word to those receiving the prize today. Dear prizewinners, you have created truly unique projects which together we are honouring today, and which focus particularly on the young generation. Whether they be language courses and sports events for socially disadvantaged young people, art competitions or sustainability initiatives in schools – all the award-winning projects are as diverse as our relations. They demonstrate that we can overcome the challenges of the future by working together, and that there is much more that unites us in Europe than divides us, much more than we ourselves may sometimes believe.

It is up to us, each and every one of us, to decide what kind of Europe we live in. Our relations are not only shaped at the highest level of politics, between presidents and governments, but also and above all in normal, everyday life. And for that I would like to thank you today: for the interpersonal connections that you have forged, for the numerous town twinning partnerships that you inject with life. Thank you most sincerely!

Viva l'amicizia italo-tedesca! Long live the German-Italian friendship! Viva l‘Europa!