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The Spanish presidency of the Council of the European Union "actively" supports Romania's efforts to join the Schengen Zone, according to a joint statement of the foreign ministries from Bucharest and Madrid, issued on Thursday, on the occasion the completion of ten years of strategic partnership between the two states.
"The Spanish presidency of the Council of the European Union has actively supported Romania's efforts to join the Schengen Zone. Having the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine as background, the bilateral dialogue has significantly strengthened on the security dimension. Romania and Spain are firmly committed to protecting the fundamental principles of the rule-based international order, as well as in holding accountable all those who violate these principles," the same press release reads, Agerpres informs.
The relationship between the two states, according to the two ministries, "is built on historical and cultural affinities, on common values and visions and on the lasting and deep bond favoured by the common belonging to the Latin area, constantly enriched by the presence of a dynamic Romanian community in Spain and a Spanish one in Romania, respectively."
The move to establish a strategic partnership "sent a strong signal in what concerns the common commitment to strengthen bilateral relations and the close cooperation between our states, as members of the European Union and NATO," the Romanian and Spanish foreign ministries say.
Also, ten years after this reference point, the diplomatic representatives of the two states appreciate that Romania and Spain "have excellent relations and a solid cooperation, confirmed by the extremely rich agenda of contacts at all levels."
A central pillar is the Romanian community in Spain, respectively the Spanish community in Romania.
"The important community of Romanians who live, work and study in Spain represents a bridge between our countries, which we enjoy and which we hope to strengthen in the future. In this spirit, steps have already been launched to provide a legal framework appropriate to these relations, which are an inseparable part of our common future, in the form of an agreement on the recognition of dual citizenship," the same press release points out.
Also, the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union "represented a new opportunity for deepening our cooperation and strengthening cohesion within the Union, based on the principles of unity and solidarity, in a joint effort to respond to the current challenges and the desire to build a better Union stronger, safer and closer to its citizens."
The commitment of Romania and Spain in this new stage of the NATO-EU relationship, in the spirit of the NATO-EU Declaration of January 2023 and the Strategic Compass, "reflects the interest of both states in strengthening the Transatlantic relationship, through a 360-degree approach," say the two foreign ministries in the said press release.
