He welcomed the extension of the Schengen area on 21 December 2007 to include the countries that joined the EU in 2004, as well as the fact that Malta and Cyprus had joined the eurozone on 1 January 2008.
Tādus uzskatus pauda Sīrijas augstākais musulmaņu garīdzniecības pārstāvis muftijs A. Hassoun, kura uzruna Eiropas Parlamentā ievadīja Starpkultūru dialoga gadu.