In his interview to ZIUA Romanian president Traian Basescu explains he attended the EPP Congress in Rome as head of state invited by Wilfried Martens, president of the EPP. Basescu mentions he met no personality of the latter party against Romania's accession to the EU in 2007. You can read the interview below. Rep.: How con you comment on your presence at the EPP Congress in Rome? T.B.: I attended it as president of Romania. Mr. Wilfried Martens, president of the EPP, invited me. It seemed to me important that the European People's Party should have a sign from the president of a country such as Romania, getting ready to join the EU. A sign that should say the following: we respect your values, our aim is to join the EU in January 1, 2007, Romania will cause no trouble, once it joins the EU it will settle problems. Rep.: While here, I could watch you during many bilateral meetings with almost all the main personalities of the EPP. I assume you expressed this message? What was the feedback like? T.B.: In my private talks I added one more message: we estimate that the European Commission's report due in May will be positive and we are asking for support so that during the Brussels Council in June they would decide on Romania's accession to take place in 2007. Even if there still are problems in certain fields, not related to the safeguard clause, there will continue to be problems and maybe one more report will follow in November. But I pleaded that in June they had to decide Romania's accession for January 1, 2007. Rep.: Then the feedback is even more important... T.B.: There is optimism about this objective. We didn't meet any personality of the EPP against this idea or against the possibility that this should be decided in June. Rep.: Were you warned about anything? T.B.: Yes, I was. I will be honest with you: Mr. Lopez (general secretary of the EPP) warned me about the efficiency of our Euro-parliamentarians. He said he wanted them to be more involved, to explain more, particularly to those colleagues of theirs there were not very optimistic. Rep.: But a president may not interfere in parliamentary affairs or in the activity of our envoys to the Parliament of Europe. How can you send this message? T.B.: I will have a meeting with our Euro-parliamentarians. But as I have just told you about it, they will hear the news before I get to meet them....

Interview by Anca HRIBAN