” “For Bulgaria, accession to the EU on January 1st 2007 will be "a sigh of relief", even if "we are aware that this is not the end of the road", but "just the start". It was stated to SirEuropa by the Minister of EU Policies of Bulgaria, Meglena Kuneva, who on 1st January will become the European Commissioner for Consumers’ rights, the first Bulgarian woman to take such a post. According to Kuneva, the negotiations were "a real process of change", "not just for our standardising and aligning the Bulgarian legislation to the European one or for the following the Commission’s directives. We also changed our way of living, checking, calculating time". In her opinion, there is no risk of losing their cultural identity, which has been "reasserted just by the encounter with the others, by keeping living modern life". "If we remain isolated and withdrawn, she highlights, we are unlikely to testify how special and unique our identity is. At this time of dialogue between the nations, it is important to reassure people of how precious diversity is”. In her opinion, religions can contribute to bringing "ethics into politics". "Everyone according to their calling can give their contribution she concludes . The more we live our values in accordance with the lesson of our religion, the better Europe will become”.” “
