Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu announced on Monday that 2016 will bring “important arguments” to justify reaching the objective of joining the Schengen Area, adding that the next Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) report will represent an argument for those who advocate that Romania’s joining the Schengen Area would add value to the entire European Union.
“The Dutch proved to be honest partners and I am very confident that this honest partnership also covers subjects such as the one we are discussing now [editor’s note: the Schengen topic]. My conviction in the possibility of going forward on this topic also comes from the fact that I am expecting — and I believe I have arguments for this — that the upcoming CVM report of the European Commission will be an additional argument for those (…) who say that allowing Romania into the Schengen Area would bring added value to the entire Union (…). There is at the level of institutions in Romania with responsibilities and duties on the matter, not only the preoccupation, but also a concrete action plan that we follow. I am an optimist. I believe that (…) this year there will be important arguments to justify our approach and meeting our objective,” Comanescu stated at a joint press conference with Dutch Ambassador Stella Ronner-Grubacic marking the launch of the Dutch presidency of the EU Council.
The foreign minister acknowledged the fact that the European Union is facing particular challenges, including issues connected to the Schengen Area, but showed that, although the functioning of the area is marked by certain “serious dysfunctions,” the Union has known in the past tough times it managed to overcome. More…