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Romania will be a clear provider of solidarity and responsibility, which only confirms its constructive and responsible conduct in managing the migration issue at the European Union level, said on Thursday in Luxembourg the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI), Alexandru Marcoci, who represents Romania at the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting.
"The progress of negotiations on the two proposals of the Pact on Migration and Asylum is likely to send an important message on our common capacity to respond to the new realities and challenges brought about by migration, even if we have to recognise that implementing these decisions will not be an easy task for most of us," Marcoci told the public session of the JHA Council debate on migration and asylum reform.
He underlined that Romania has consistently taken a constructive approach to the overall negotiations on the proposals of the Pact on Migration and Asylum and that it maintains this approach.
"Romania has the second longest external border in the European Union and can therefore be considered, from the perspective of the applicability of the proposals, a country of first entry," said the Secretary of State.
Romania will therefore have to enforce the border procedure reflected in the Asylum Procedures Directive, "with all the additional obligations and commitments arising therefrom".
"Romania also intends to contribute, together with the other Member States, to the solidarity measures in the regulation on migration and asylum management. In practice, Romania will thus be a net provider of solidarity and responsibility, which only confirms its constructive and responsible conduct in managing migration issues at EU level," said Alexandru Marcoci.
Alexandru Marcoci also used this opportunity to give a message on the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area, which was not on the agenda of the JHA meeting.
"The report on the Schengen area reiterates the importance of strengthening the principles of unity, mutual trust, partnership and solidarity in order to consolidate the functioning of the Schengen area, principles that are not applied to Romania in the case of the legitimate expectation to join Schengen," the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Internal Affairs told his EU colleagues present at the meeting.AGERPRES
