Dec. 14, 2004 / 10:28 AM

New Romanian president says EU top priority

BUCHAREST, Romania, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Romanian President-elect Traian Basescu says his country's bid to join the European Union is his top political priority, CNN reported Tuesday.

Basescu scored a surprise victory over Prime Minister Adrian Nastase in a weekend runoff vote by 51.2 percent to Nastase's 48.8 percent.

Basescu will accompany outgoing President Ion Iliescu to an EU summit in Brussels Wednesday and Thursday, where Romania's entry talks will be formally concluded.

Basescu, the centrist Mayor of Bucharest, pledged to launch an assault on corruption and make Romania's accession to the EU the centerpiece of his presidency.

Romania wants to join the EU along with Bulgaria and possibly Croatia in 2007 or 2008.

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