THOUGHTS

“I have been interested in politics ever since I grew up, starting with local politics and then regional politics. Through my travels and expeditions I was later confronted with the problems of Tibet, the Caucasus, Kazakhstan and Nepal. Everywhere I went I read the local newspapers, talked to the people and tried to understand the political situation in the country. Finally, as a Member of the European Parliament, I had the opportunity to help bring peace to crisis areas – albeit in tiny steps. In 2002, the International Year of Mountains, I drafted the ‘Charter of values for the mountains of Europe’.”