AJC Applauds Bulgaria, Romania Joining European Union
January 1, 2007 - New York - The American Jewish Committee applauds the formal accession today of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union, which brings the EU's total membership to twenty-seven countries.
"This is a time of celebration throughout Bulgaria and Romania," said David A. Harris, AJC's executive director. "We join with our many friends in both countries in marking this milestone event."
"On numerous occasions," Harris continued, "we have described the European Union as the single most ambitious and successful peace project in recent history. From the original six members who signed the Treaty of Rome in 1957 as a means, above all, to prevent future wars of aggression involving Germany, the EU has evolved in the past half-century into a vast zone of peace, stability and prosperity. Today, there is no fear of war among the member nations; to the contrary, borders have been eliminated between many of the established members, a common currency has been embraced by nearly half the members, and harmonization of laws and standards on many fronts has been achieved.
"While the EU faces its share of challenges, from the recent rejection of the constitution by voters in France and the Netherlands to the full absorption of the newer member states, by any reasonable standard the EU has fulfilled the ambitious vision of its founding visionaries - and then some."
The American Jewish Committee has offices in four EU countries - France, Germany, Italy and Poland. Moreover, it sponsors the Transatlantic Institute in Brussels, established in 2004 to promote greater communication and cooperation between the European Union and United States in facing common challenges and opportunities.
In addition, AJC has association agreements with two pan-European bodies, the European Union of Jewish Students and the European Council of Jewish Communities, plus Jewish communities in nine EU countries - Czech Republic, Greece, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain, and, especially importantly for this occasion, Bulgaria and Romania.
"We send our best wishes to our friends in Bulgaria and Romania," concluded Harris. "As they begin their new lives as full-fledged EU member states, they should feel proud of how far they have come since they emerged from the yoke of communism, created democratic, market-oriented societies, and negotiated successfully with the EU to meet the stringent criteria for membership.
"We count on our friends to continue to voice their support for a robust transatlantic relationship as essential to the well-being of nations on both sides of the Atlantic, and to emphasize the importance of a strong link between the EU and democratic nations in its neighborhood, including Israel, reflecting the vibrant bilateral ties that both Sofia and Bucharest have enjoyed with Jerusalem."
Ari M. Gordon Department of Interreligious Affairs American Jewish Committee 165 E56th St. New York, NY 10022 (212) 751-4000 x266 www.ajc.org www.engagingamerica.org