Historic enlargement vote will give new impulse to Europe

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 9th Apr 2003

Today's historic vote by the European Parliament to give the go ahead to enlargement will give a new impulse to Europe, local Liberal Democrat Euro MP said today.

Diana Wallis MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, said, "This is an historic day, because for the first time we shall be peacefully uniting our continent on the basis of dialogue, not war. It is also a historic occasion for the European Parliament - we have always supported enlargement.

"We shall now expand from 15 Member States to 25, and in a few weeks time our new colleagues will be here and join in debate with us. It is also a historic day for the Liberal Democrat group, because we have always been committed to accession."

"We will probably be the only group to say yes to all 10 accessions, as this is something we welcome. We can only appeal to our colleagues to create a better Europe for all our citizens. Europe's possibilities have expanded - we now have a whole continent of peace and prosperity. It is an opportunity for businesses in the region to reconnect with the longstanding links with markets in Central and Eastern Europe and particularly in the Baltic region."