In a formal greeting to all Bulgarians Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said that Bulgaria's confirmed EU entry on January 1 2007 represented the final and conclusive fall of the Berlin Wall.

On September 26 the European Commission recommended in its report Bulgaria's EU accession as scheduled but under strict monitoring.

Bulgarian institutions worked hard in the past 16 years to guarantee Bulgaria's EU entry, Stanishev said. It was important for Bulgaria to become a full-fledged union member that will not be subjected to the introduction of safeguard clauses, said Stanishev.

EU membership signified numerous opportunities but also increased responsibility, said Stanishev.

Starting January 1 2007 Bulgaria would be a stable and predictable EU member, said Stanishev. For the first time since the start of its transition, the country would be able to use resources guaranteeing its modernisation, said he.

Effort was now going to be focused in the successful economic and social EU integration of the country, Stanishev said.