Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, welcomes the accession of Bulgarian and Romania to the EU

In a statement released today, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern, T.D., said that the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU was a historic day for those countries and another important step in bringing together the peoples of Europe. The Minister recalled the positive impact that EU membership has had on Ireland: "I hope that Bulgaria and Romania will benefit from joining the Union in the same way in which Ireland has done during the 33 years of our membership.

“The 5th Enlargement of the EU, which began with the accession of 10 new members in 2004, is now complete.  Bulgaria and Romania are joining at an exciting time as we celebrate 50 years of European integration. The coming year will be a time to consolidate the achievements of the past and look to the future with renewed determination to continue delivering tangible benefits for all our citizens. I look forward to working with my Bulgarian and Romanian counterparts in advancing the important agenda of the European Union”

ENDS +++

1 January 2007