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The Schengen area will be stronger when Romania will be a full member thereof, Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu said on Monday.
She attended, at the Representation of the European Commission in Bucharest, a news conference marking the taking over by Spain of the rotating presidency of the EU Council for the second half of the year.
She thanked the representatives of Spain for their clear commitment to the Schengen file, adding that the enlargement of the Schengen Area should remain a key element of their schedule.
She also spoke of a joint assessment with the European Parliament and the European Commission, saying that the Schengen area will be stronger when Romania will be a full member thereof.
Romania, said Odobescu, is working with the Spanish presidency, having already discussed in detail both with the ambassador and with her counterpart and other ministers how to progress with this essential file in the coming months.
The minister added that she does not want to give a clear term, because it is about unanimity and Romania's objective is obviously to succeed in reaching a consensus, after winning the support of the European Commission, European Parliament and a majority of the EU member states
Odobescu added that Romania has achieved its objectives and is meeting all the criteria required for the accession process.
Additionally, she said, Romania has been working with the European Commission to show once again what is actually recognised that Romania is a security provider, that it protects not only its border, but also the European Union's, having worked with the European Commission to show examples of good practices.
About the dialogue with Austria, who voted against Romania's accession to the Schengen area, the Romanian minister mentioned an action plan to prove what is actually very clear, that Romania is a credible partner, a supplier of security and an active partner in the protection of the external borders of the European Union.
In his turn, Spanish ambassador in Bucharest Jose Antonio Hernandez Perez-Solorzano said that the subject of Romania and Bulgaria's accession to Schengen area will be placed on the agenda of the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) council meeting most likely this fall.
He said the inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria into the Schengen area is a priority of the Spanish presidency of the European Council, adding that Spain is acting like an honest mediator.
Spain, he added, has to bring the member states to a common denominator, with support from the European Commission, especially within the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA)council. He said that the subject could feature on the agenda of the JHA council meeting this October, but October is not a deadline. Spain, he said, will intensify dialogue in order to reach a consensus before that date.
