Brussels, 18/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - Jan Figel, Education Commissioner, and Mady Delvaux-Stehres, Luxembourg's National Education and Professional Training Minister, inaugurated a symposium on 10/11 March to highlight the importance of language learning. With the slogan, 'Let's learn more languages to speak the same language', the event attracted participants from more than 32 countries to discuss multilingualism and language learning and teaching in Europe. Jan Figel said that in the context of enlargement of the EU, where national identities rubbed shoulders with the European identity, it was vital to promote linguistic diversity, while strengthening unity. Saying that multilingualism was the best means of integration, he stressed the importance of languages for economic development, since speaking a language enhances employability and staff mobility and boosts international trade. Figel said the Commission was planning to adopt before the end of the year a Communication on multilingualism, and mentioned the EU's action plan to promote language learning and linguistic diversity in the EU from 2004 to 2006, and the integration of the promotion of multilingualism in the lifelong learning programme due to start in 2007, and in European linguistic skills indicators. Luxembourg's minister said that Europe had to protect the linguistic diversity that characterised it since languages were a very good way of communicating with neighbours but also learning about differences and hence were a vehicle for civic values like tolerance and mutual respect.