Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 04-04-30

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus officially EU member as of midnight

[01] Cyprus officially EU member as of midnight

2240:CYPPRESS:11

Cyprus officially EU member as of midnight

by Maria Myles

Dublin, Apr 30 (CNA) -- The Republic of Cyprus is as of Friday midnight a fully-fledged member of the European Union, along with another nine countries from Central and Eastern Europe.

Ireland, who holds the six-monthly rotating EU presidency, has organised a series of events to mark this momentous development in Europe and to welcome the ten new members, the focus of which will be Saturday's Enlargement Ceremony.

This enlargement is the largest since the EEC (European Economic Community) was established in the 1950s by six countries in Europe, in the aftermath of the Second World War. The previous EU enlargement took place in the mid 1990s with the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden.

President Tassos Papadopoulos arrives in Dublin on Saturday at around 1100 local time (1000 GMT), accompanied by Foreign Minister George Iacovou and the Director of his Diplomatic Office Ambassador Tasos Tzionis.

At around 1300 President Papadopoulos will go to Bray, the Irish city selected to play host to Cyprus, accompanied by the Minister, Tzionis and Cyprus' Ambassador in Dublin Andreas Kakouris, whose 11-year old daughter will hand Papadopoulos the Cyprus flag at the special accession ceremony.

In Bray, the Irish Minister of State for European Affairs Dick Roche will also be present, as well as the city authorities.

On Saturday at 1130 the President of the European Council Bertie Ahern, Commission President Romano Prodi and European Parliament President Pat Cox will give a press conference.

Later on the heads of state or government will be greeted by the Irish Premier, and a commemorative family photo will be taken.

The official enlargement ceremony at the residence of the Irish President is scheduled to begin at 1720 local time with a flag-raising ceremony, to be attended by President of Ireland Mary McAleece, Ahern and the leaders of participating states.

In the evening heads of state and foreign ministers will sit at separate dinners hosted by the Irish presidency.

Celebrations begin in Dublin on Friday night with a fireworks extravaganza ''Stars of the Sea''. On Saturday the European Fair will take place in Dublin with 28 marquees, each representing an EU member, acceding or candidate state, where food, wines, arts and crafts will be on offer and display for the 100.000 visitors expected to flock to the fair.

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