Central and Eastern European states gave a collective sigh of relief today after Ireland voted Yes in the Nice Treaty referendum.
"I believe Czech citizens will now also say Yes to the EU after the Irish have said Yes to expanding the Union," said Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Szoboda.
President Aleksander Kwasniewski of Poland, the biggest of the candidates, told reporters: "If the preliminary results are confirmed...we should thank the Irish - all those who understood that even the biggest domestic problems should not overshadow the big idea that EU enlargement will at last overcome the rifts that divided our continent."
Estonia's Prime Minister Siim Kallas said: "We wish to thank the Irish people for their decision. For us, Ireland has always been an example of good decision-making."
Latvia's chief EU negotiator Mr Andris Kesteris said the vote should now allow candidates time to complete difficult EU accession talks over money and farming by the end of the year.
"This is undoubtedly positive for us as we have now removed a serious factor that could have distorted the process," he said.
Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Lithuania, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia and Malta are preparing to join the bloc in 2004. Romania and Bulgaria are expected to join later this decade.