Ruse Horse

Bulgaria joined Monday the European Union closing a 17-year effort to match its standards. “We cross a frontier, a historical watershed. The coming day Jan. 1, 2007, no doubt, will be among the most significant dates in our national history,” President Georgi Parvanov said in a televised address to the nation. Bulgaria, a nation of 7.7 million, entered the 25-nation bloc together with neighboring Romania, adding a total of 30 million to its 450 million population. Tens of thousands of people crowded the streets of the capital Sofia the main cities to celebrate the EU membership and the new year amongst spectacular fireworks and open air concerts. Bulgaria and Romania are the poorest countries to be in the EU. Their GDP per capita equals a third of that in the bloc. The EU has said it will pause for at least several years before considering admitting further members. The candidates include Croatia, Macedonia and Turkey.

Ruse Bulgaria joins European Union