(L-R): Armin Laschet, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, at the presentation of the Steiger Award; Credit: ME

On Saturday 17 March 2018, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel was honoured in Dortmund, Germany, by the presentation of the Steiger Award in the category "Europe".

The prize is named after an inspector names Steiger who, according to the mining tradition, stands for virtues such as straightforwardness, openness, humanity and tolerance. Those honoured are people who are not deterred on their way and are willing to take responsibility.

In his acceptance speech, Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Armin Laschet, described Xavier Bettel as a "convinced European with a thirst for Europe" and praised the Prime Minister for his "commitment and strengthening of the community of values ​​that the European Union represents."

"The European Union is a unique peace project" underlined Xavier Bettel in his speech, adding "It is important to me to maintain and strengthen the EU so that future generations can enjoy peaceful, tolerant and solidarity living together in the EU."

On the sidelines of the event, Prime Minister Bettel met with the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Armin Laschet, for a meeting in which the two heads of government decided to further intensify cooperation in the future. "Even if we are not direct neighbours, this can not stop us from further intensifying bilateral relations on a political and economic level in the future," underlined the Prime Minister during the exchange.​