15/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 10 February, the Young Liberal Democrats (LYMEC) celebrated their thirtieth anniversary. Graham Watson, the Leader of the ALDE group in the European Parliament, and a founder-member of the organisation, praised the progress made since its foundation, when there were only 9 Member States, when today there are 25, going on 27. Mr Watson recalled the impassioned discussions about the need for contact with young liberals in the then candidate countries of Greece, Spain and Portugal, and also the exchange, in 1988, between the University of Edinburgh and East German students. It was, he said, hardly an exchange since no East German students ever came to Scotland. He also spoke about another great change in the last thirty years, the increasing scope of activity of the EU which, he felt, went hand in hand with the recognition that the challenges faced by humankind were supranational and need supranational solutions.