GERMANY: CEREMONY: GERMANY AND POLAND OPEN BORDERS AS POLAND JOINS EUROPEAN UNION.

Record ID: 649263

  • Title: GERMANY: CEREMONY: GERMANY AND POLAND OPEN BORDERS AS POLAND JOINS EUROPEAN UNION.
  • Date: 30th April 2004
  • Summary: (W8) FRANKFURT ON THE ODER, GERMANY (APRIL 30 - MAY 1, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS: CROWDS GATHERED NEAR BRIDGE CONNECTING GERMANY AND POLAND AT FRANKFURT ON THE ODER (GERMANY) AND SLUBICE (POLAND) (10 SHOTS) 1.14 2. GV/PAN/CU/MV: GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER JOSCHKA FISCHER AND POLISH COUNTERPART WLODZIMIERZ CIMOSZEWIC ARRIVING AND LISTENING TO CONCERT
  • Embargoed: 15th May 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: FRANKFURT ON THE ODER, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVAUFG5P96ZLW8V6OEAZXRUA725
  • Story Text: The German and Polish foreign ministers at midnight
    have officially opened the border between their two
    countries as Poland joined the EU.



    Joschka Fischer of Germany and Wlodzimierz
    Cimoszewicz of Poland opened the border between the German
    city of Frankfurt on the Oder and the Polish town of
    Slubice on Friday night (April 30) by crossing a bridge
    connecting the two countries.

    "This is a big night and a big moment and I would like
    to shout to all our Polish friends Welcome to the European
    Union!", Fischer told reporters, his voice choking.

    For East Europeans, enlargement crowns 15 years of
    often painful economic reforms since the collapse of
    communist rule.

    EU enlargement took effect at 2200 GMT, though a still
    divided Cyprus and the former Soviet republics of Estonia,
    Latvia and Lithuania celebrated entry an hour earlier,
    since they lie in a time zone east of the bulk of
    continental Europe.

    Other newcomers are former Warsaw Pact members Hungary,
    the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the former Yugoslav
    republic of Slovenia and the tiny Mediterranean island of
    Malta, which will
    become the EUs smallest member with 400,000 people.

    This largest one-off EU expansion will turn the bloc
    into the worlds biggest free trade area with 450 million
    citizens.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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