Romania's accession to the European Union ten years ago is a momentum of historic significance, that earmarked the full come-back to the democratic world and the debut of participation of our country, as a EU Member State, in the European decision-making process, reads a Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) release.
"We celebrate today, 1 January 2017, 10 years since Romania accessed to the European Union (...) This decade represented for Romania a positive period of modernisation and social and economic development, of improvement of the Romanian citizens' quality of life, of capitalisation of the integration with the European Single Market. The experience so far reveals as well the further existence of premise for a more efficient capitalisation of the benefits of belonging to the EU," says the MAE release.
All this period, adds the ministry, Romania placed itself among the most fervent promoters of the continuation and consolidation of the European integration's process.
"The solid commitment and contribution to the efforts that aim to identify solutions to the challenges the EU is confronted with are recognised by our partners and are confirmations of the part Romania has today in the European family. The further strengthening of the European integration stays to Romania a strategic target. Romania will plead for strengthening coherence of the EU action, for a joint, inclusive approach at European level, grounded on the definition and follow-up of certain concrete goals, in accordance with the European citizens' interests," the source says.
According to the MAE, Romania has the necessary will and capacity to contribute to the EU's reinvigoration effort.
" It is more so in the interest of Romania that this year's 10th anniversary and the 60 years celebration of the signing of the Treaty of Rome to confirm a stronger Union, a more united and more cohesive Union, a defender of the values and principles that have over time guaranteed the sustainable foundation of the European construction," the MAE release concludes.