Romanian President Traian Basescu said on Saturday that his country would overcome the ongoing world economic crisis if all people and political groups could stay united and pool their wisdom.

"I am convinced we will be able to pass through these difficult times more easily than other countries in Europe," the president stated in his speech at a ceremony held in Iasi, eastern Romania, to mark the 150th founding anniversary of the Union of the Romanian Principalities.

"We only need the solidarity between the people and the political class, and also the wisdom to help those in need to deal more easily with the crisis," said Basescu, adding that "we need to stay united in our efforts to cross this difficult situation."

The president also urged political leaders in the country to sacrifice group interests for Romanians. "We need all those representing now the political class to make sacrifices. The same as our predecessors did to sacrifice their personal and group interests 150 years ago, Romanians need now a political class to know how to sacrifice group interests in the name of the nation too," Basescu said.

On Jan. 24 150 years back, two Romanian principalities -- Wallachia and Moldavia -- formed a Union by electing Colonel Alexandru Ioan Cuza as the common ruler.

The unification generated a favorable framework for the modernization of the Romanian society. Romania became a national unitary state on Dec. 1, 1918, when Transylvania also joined in to form a Greater Union.

(Xinhua News Agency January 25, 2009)