EU flag hoisted in front of Romanian Government's headquarters

Bucharest , Dec 31 / Rompres /- The European Union's flag was hoisted on Sunday evening during an official ceremony held in front of the Romanian Government's headquarters, in the presence of Romanian President Traian Basescu , PM Calin Popescu- Tariceanu and of high European officials. At the same time the EU flag was hoisted in all county towns in Romania .

The flag hoisting ceremony is a historic moment and a reason of joy for the entire Romanian people. This moment has been waited for for 17 years, PM Tariceanu said.

Welcome to the EU! Happy New Year!' said in turn President of the European Parliament Josep Borrel .

The moment we live today is the expression of the Romanian people's wish to return to a democratic Europe where peace is the first EU rule,' President Basescu said.

The moment of hoisting the flag marked the beginning of the public events organized in Romania in order to celebrate the country's EU accession.

The EU flag, one of the EU's symbols, with the 12 stars describing a circle against a blue background, signifies the unity and identity of the European peoples. The circle represents solidarity and harmony while the stars symbolize perfection.

The history of the flag begins in 1995. First, it was used by the Council of Europe, international organization protecting the human rights and the European cultural values. In 1985, the EU member states adopted it as a flag of the European Communities (CEE) while starting 1986 it has been used by all EU institutions.