Bulgaria's parliament has overwhelmingly approved on the European Union accession treaty that will allow the poor Balkan state to join the wealthy bloc as early as 2007. Reuters said Opposition parties supported the ratification but accused the ruling centrists, led by ex-king Simeon Saxe-Coburg, of pushing it through to bolster his dwindling popularity ahead of June 25 national elections. "Our national interests and the key to our modern European future are locked in the pages of the treaty," Saxe-Coburg, told the chamber ahead of the vote. All but three of the 234 deputies present voted for the treaty. More than three-quarters of Bulgaria's eight million people back EU membership. Investors are also eager to see the country join the EU and converge with the euro zone a few years later.
