Bulgaria can fully rely on the support of the EU including for the Bulgarian medics unjustly sentenced in Libya.

Those were the words of EU Parliament President Josep Borrell, Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoken from the stage of the festive New Year concert sloganed Bulgaria Greets Europe held Monday.

Bulgaria has always been part of Europe and we are now celebrating a new era which will not only be the era of all Bulgarians but also of Europe. Welcome to Europe. You bring to Europe culture and art, they said.

A dream of many generations of Bulgarians has come true today, Bulgaria's PM Sergey Stanishev said.

The formal EU membership does not mean solution to all problems of Bulgarian society but it certainly gives a huge chance to each Bulgarian citizen and Bulgarian institution to modernise the country, he added.

To what extent we will take advantage of that chance depends entirely on us, he said.

The New Year is important to Europe, not only to Bulgaria and Romania, Frank-Walter Steinmeier said.

Bulgaria is welcome for two reasons. Firstly, the EU accession deals away with the historical injustice that happened after WWII, namely the division of the continent into two camps. Secondly, with its rich culture Bulgaria has always been a part of Europe, he said.

Bulgaria is a full-fledged member of the EU with all the rights and obligations that come with that. The solidarity of the EU now exists to you as well, Olli Rehn said. I truly believe Bulgaria will continue its progress, he added.

Your MEPs will be received with open arms at the EP from January 15, Josep Borrell said.

We have to join efforts in order to protect human rights, democratic freedoms, equality of the sexes and integrity of society in order to be united and never let be defeated, he added.

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