Ten years ago, on 22 March 2016, Brussels, our common home, was attacked in a way it will never forget.
That morning, 32 people set out on ordinary journeys, heading to work or to catch a flight.
They never returned home.
Today, we take a solemn moment to remember the victims of that blind, heinous act of terrorism.
We think of them, and of their loved ones, who continue to carry a loss that time can hardly heal.
When Brussels was struck, it was the very heart of Europe that was under attack.
It was an assault on our values: freedom, peace, and tolerance.
The values which define our Union, and which we are determined to protect.
That is why, ten years ago, Europe rose and stood as one, united in solidarity with Belgium.
Across the continent, city lights shone in black, yellow, and red. Crowds gathered on the streets, with candles flickering in remembrance.
For the past 10 years, we have strengthened our resolve and deepened our cooperation to fight terrorism.
We have worked to prevent such horrors from happening again.
We now have a stronger legal framework,
there is closer operational cooperation across borders, we have taken determined action against radicalisation, both online and offline.
Today, as in 2016, we stand united.
Nous sommes avec la Belgique.
Wij zijn solidair met België.
Wir stehen an der Seite Belgiens.
We are with Belgium.
Photo by Miguel Discart, Wikimedia commons.