Basescu: It was Hard, But We Arrived

Politics » BULGARIA IN EU | January 1, 2007, Monday // 00:00

"It was hard, but we arrived at the end of the road. It is the road of our future. It is the road of our joy," Romanian President Traian Basescu said during the country's festive first night in the EU.

His words prompted cheers from a crowd of tens of thousands of revelers packed into University Square in Bucharest.

"We arrived in Europe. Welcome to Europe," Basescu said from a stage, where he was joined by EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and government ministers.

Foreign ministers of Germany, Denmark, Austria and Hungary, also attending, wished Romanian citizens a Happy New Year. Officials were flying later Monday to Bulgaria for celebrations there.

Romania and Bulgaria bring 30 million new members to the union, and expand the number of member nations in the bloc to 27.

"Entering the European Union, we are assured peace and prosperity. This is an enormous chance for new generations," Basescu said as the clock ticked down to midnight. He later waved a huge Romanian flag and said he hoped Romanians would retain their national identity.

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