Addressing the guests of the event, Ms Melbārde said: “Today, we are not only celebrating the opening of the exhibition, but together we are affirming our commitment to Europe’s core values – human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights. 20 years ago, Latvia alongside 9 other nations embraced a new chapter by joining the European Union (EU), and by putting these values at the heart of our culture. Emerging from the shadows of Soviet totalitarianism, a period that felt like exile, we found our way back to our historic roots, to the place we truly call home. But the EU, our home, is not a statistic entity, it is a dynamic, ever evolving community that we proudly belong to and we are all responsible for.”
In her address, Ms Ieva Jurga, the CAMINO Project’s creative manager said: “Twenty years ago, ten European countries became members of the EU). Back then, it was our dream of freedom and prosperity. Today, it is our reality. To mark the 20th anniversary of the EU membership, students from eight Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, along with Cyprus, Malta, and Ukraine, have offered their view on today’s Europe, on their identity as Europeans, sharing with us their hopes and dreams – without stereotypes or prejudices. [..] When I look at these pictures, I see that Europe is nothing without its culture, be it architecture, philosophy, or the art of living. When I look at these pictures, I see peacefulness, freedom, and centuries of diverse cultural heritage. It makes a colourful kaleidoscope we call the European dream.”
The exhibition was the highlight of the international student photo contest “Inspired by Europe” that took place this March in all ten countries that joined the EU in 2004. Ukrainian students residing in these countries were also welcomed to take part. An international jury chose 11 best photographs – one per each country participating in the contest – to be included in the photo exhibition. The photo contest was coordinated by Ludovika University of Public Service (LUPS) in Hungary. At the opening of the exhibition, Dr Boglarka Koller, Professor at LUPS, noted: “Europe is about beauty, and we all interpret this beauty in a different way, as we can see from these photos made by young people.”
The exhibition “Inspired by Europe” featured photographs by Elena Georgiou (Cyprus), Natalie Sedlackova (the Czech Republic), Kart Soieva (Estonia), Ákos Kripkó (Hungary), Zelda Zagarina (Latvia), Gabija Matkute (Lithuania), Rodion Podruchnyi (Malta), Natalia Molenda (Poland), Felix Krupa (Slovakia), Kaja Adamek (Slovenia) and Sofiia Serdiuchenko (Ukraine). All works are presented online on the photo contest’s Instagram page @camino_inspired_by_europe. The artworks were on public display in all CAMINO Project partner countries during Europe Day celebrations on 9 May 2024 as well.
 in Brussels, Belgium, and was on display until 19 April 2024. The photo exhibition opening took place in the framework of the cultural cooperation project “20 years of cultural enrichment in reunified Europe” (the CAMINO Project), and gathered representatives of the CAMINO Project partner institutions, authors of the exhibited photographs, EP representatives, and invited guests. The event was hosted by the Latvian MEP, Ms Dace Melbārde.){kind=link}