EUROPE CELEBRATES EXPANSION ON EAST
Solemn festivals have begun in all Europe on April 30. The countries, which were earlier behind the "iron curtain", dividing Europe from the north on the south and from the east on the West, have carried out celebrations in the territories, liquidated interstate borders, boundary constructions and barriers of checkpoints.
The scale and populous celebratory ceremonies which have begun on April 30 in Berlin and boundary cities of Germany, proceeded till the morning on May 1 with salutes and illuminations. The public of Germany welcomed thousand visitors from 25 states - members of the European Union which have freely passed borders and have joined celebrations, exclamations “Farewell, old Europe, welcome to new Europe! ”
Ceremony of destruction of boundary constructions on the big bridge above the boundary river Oder - Naas between Germany and Poland was especially majestic. Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Joschka Fischer together with Polish colleague Vlodzimezh Chimoshevich at midnight have joined ceremony of removing the boundary constructions, have stated to more than hundred thousand people: “Now, Germany for the first time is in the environment of friends”.
In the festivals passed in Zittaow, on border of Czech, Poland and Germany, were taking part the Federal Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schroeder, former Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Prime Ministers of Poland and Czech Leshek Miller and Vladimir Shpidla. Opening the border, Gerhard Schroeder has told: “We make with expansion of the European Union an important step on the way of association and unity of Europe and we carry out our historical mission”.
Helmut Kohl so has expressed the idea: “Since this day, Germany is in the environment of friends and partners. Henceforth, we do not want to see soldier's tombs in Europe. This thesis as a substantive provision of the policy of association of Europe, should find its echo in all countries”.
On April 30, in Warsaw, the statement of the president of Germany for the first time in history has taken place in the Polish Seym. Speaking at the ceremonial meeting of the Seym devoted to association of Europe, federal president Johannes Rau has regarded admission of Poland in the European Union as historical event and has told: “From now and on, it opens a new and most important page of the relations of good neighborhood between Germany and Poland”.
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