Romania’s Interior Minister Lucian Bode said on Thursday that Romania has been fully prepared to join the Schengen area since 2011, and the various sensitivities that one or another member state cites for their refusal to let Romania in the Scehngen area can no longer be serious arguments, told Agerpres.
“Romania has an objective of major importance: acquiring the status of a Schengen member state. The evaluations carried out last autumn reconfirmed the high level at which Romania applies all Schengen standards. Romania has been fully prepared to join the Schengen since 2011. The various domestic sensitivities that one or another member state claim to justify their refusal to accept Romania in the Schengen area can no longer be serious arguments. From our point of view, last year’s decision was profoundly unfair, but Romania reaffirms its constructive, extremely important pro-European attitude, especially in the current geopolitical context,” Bode said at the end of a meeting with his Spanish counterpart Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gomez.
He added that Romania and Spain have a shared objective of securing the external borders of the European Union.
“Romania and Spain are two member states that have the same common objective: securing the external borders of the European Union. The specificity of Romanian-Spanish co-operation is also related to the Romanian citizens who live in Spain. I have reconfirmed our availability for co-operation in order to support both the Romanian citizens living in Spain, as well as the Spanish authorities and Spanish citizens who have contributed substantially to the integration of our compatriots. The Romanian community, very active and constantly contributing to the development of the Spanish economy and culture, is an essential pillar of bilateral relations and at the same time an important factor for its further consolidation,” said Bode.
Grande-Marlaska Gomez reconfirmed Spain’s absolute support for Romania’s accession to the Schengen area.
“The absolute commitment of Spain, a commitment that dates back quite many years, is to Romania acquiring the status of a full member of the Schengen area more quickly. Romania has done an extraordinary, exceptional job in this regard and has been doing so for a long time. All of us who want a solid and strong Schengen area cannot understand this Schengen area without Romania in it as a full member,” he said.