The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania plays an intermediary role in the relations between the two countries.Continue reading
Romania’s accession to the Schengen area is in Hungary’s national interest and will be achieved during the Hungarian EU Presidency, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stressed in Bucharest after talks with Cătălin Predoium, Deputy Prime Minister of Romania and Minister of Internal Affairs.
This is important because if road checks between Romania and Hungary are finally lifted, on the one hand very long queues at border crossings will disappear, and on the other hand ten road links, currently only available on Saturdays, will be immediately available to traffic, writes Világgazdaság. The Hungarian politician stressed that the current 12 crossings would immediately become 22, and that communication between Hungarian communities on both sides of the border would be much simpler and easier.
He added that
Romania is one of Hungary’s most important export markets,
therefore Hungarian companies that trade with Romanian partners in Romania can do business much more easily and be even more successful, thus “we can only gain” from our neighbor’s Schengen accession. “This is why we are doing everything possible to ensure that Romania can enter the Schengen area during the Hungarian EU Presidency,” the minister emphasized.
Mr Szijjártó hopes that the Western European countries will not be hypocrites either, and that all those who have been talking about supporting this will support it.
The two ministers also signed an important agreement on cross-border law enforcement cooperation to help fight illegal migrants, smugglers and criminal gangs.
Although the connection has been achieved in air and sea border crossings, it is also needed as soon as possible at land borders, which Hungary supports.
EU member states voted in Brussels in 2022 on the accession of Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area. Croatia has been admitted, but Romania and Bulgaria did not join, even though both deserved to, having worked hard to protect their borders and done much to curb illegal migration. Austria and the Netherlands did not support Romania’s accession. The decision has provoked vehement reactions in Romania. Public officials in Bucharest have expressed disappointment at Vienna’s opposition, which they say is completely unfounded.
Via Világgazdaság; Featured image via Pixabay