Twenty-eight years ago today, on June 18, 1997 (May 14, 1997), European Union heads of state agreed on a draft new European Union treaty. The heads of state, government and foreign ministers of the 15 member states of the European Union concluded their meeting in Amsterdam in the early morning of June 18, 1997 to agree on a new European Union treaty, the Amsterdam Treaty. The meeting marked the end of the European Union's intergovernmental conference on amending the Maastricht Treaty that began last March, but European Union leaders failed to formally sign the treaty in Amsterdam as planned. Dutch Prime Minister Kirk, who holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, said at a press conference held after the meeting that the European Union summit reached an agreement on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and made progress in institutional reform. He expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting. European Union Commission President Sante said at the press conference that the European Union has taken a step forward on the road of reform, and all countries have agreed to make decisions on some important issues of European Union reform before implementing the European Union's eastward expansion plan. The draft treaty on the new European Union is divided into six parts, including the establishment of a free, secure and just space within five years, the establishment of the relationship between the European Union and citizens, and the implementation of a more effective and unified foreign and security policy.