Romanian President Traian Basescu declared Tuesday that his country had achieved its central goal after receiving official clearance to enter the European Union on 1 January 2007.
The European Commission confirmed that Romania and Bulgaria would become the 26th and 27th EU members, subject to the most rigorous monitoring conditions ever applied to incoming states. EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso made the announcement during a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Basescu cautioned his compatriots against expecting immediate improvements in daily life, saying prosperity would not arrive on its own. "Romania has a long road to travel" between formal accession and genuine integration, he added.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.