Ireland pledges to help nations into EU

Bertie Ahern will today assure his Bulgarian and Romanian counterparts that his Government will do all in its power to ease their way into European Union membership.

Mr Ahern is to issue the pledges during visits to the two former Eastern European bloc states ahead of Ireland’s New Year assumption of EU presidency, which will last for six months.

Speaking about his meetings in Sofia and Bucharest, with Prime Ministers Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha of Bulgaria and Prime Minister Nastase of Romania, Mr Ahern said: “We are only six weeks from Ireland’s Presidency of the EU and these meetings are a key part of our preparations for taking over our Presidency responsibilities.

“I will be assuring the Prime Ministers that Ireland will do everything in its power to ensure their early accession to the EU.

“Ireland fully supports the target date of January 2007 for accession by the two countries and we will support conclusion of the accession negotiations by the end of 2004, if possible.

“I will be urging both countries to keep up their efforts to meet the conditions for EU membership and will reassure them that Ireland will provide any assistance that it can in this regard.”

While neither of their countries accede to the EU next year, Mr Ahern has invited the leaders of both Bulgaria and Romania to attend the May 1, 2004, celebration of enlargement in Dublin.