The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdabn Aurescu, participated on Thursday in the press conference organized by the Swedish Embassy in Bucharest on the occasion of taking over the Presidency of the EU Council. The Romanian FM stated that accession to the Schengen area is a major priority for Romania and that in this endeavor “he counts on the support of the Swedish Presidency”,
Accession to Schengen is a major priority for Romania, declared, on Thursday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, noting that our country counts on the support in this file, as a mediator, of Sweden, which took over the six-monthly Presidency of the Council on January 1 European Union.
The head of Romanian diplomacy recalled, in the press conference organized by the Swedish Embassy in Bucharest on the occasion of taking over the Presidency of the EU Council, the way in which our country managed the situation created by the war in Ukraine, showing that Romania was a “de facto guardian of EU security “.
Regarding the vote against joining the Schengen area, from the JHA Council on December 8, Aurescu said “Romania was unfairly denied its legitimate expectations”. “We count on the support of the Swedish Presidency”, he said, pointing out that our country is in “the most favorable position so far”. “We are not starting from scratch, but building on everything we have achieved so far”, added Bogdan Aurescu.
In her turn, the Swedish ambassador in Bucharest, Therese Hyden, pointed out that “the Schengen file will be on the agenda of an official meeting, when the conditions are favorable“, namely when Austria changes its position regarding Romania, and the Netherlands changes its position regarding Bulgaria. “We took over this important file from the Czech Presidency and we will work intensively”, added the diplomat. “It is too early to say when this process will end,” Therese Hyden said, regarding a time horizon.
Minister Aurescu mentioned that, at this moment, there is a dialogue with the Austrian side, in order to create the “premises for a favorable context”. “We must not create hasty expectations”, he emphasized.