Romania is entitled to fully join the Schengen area, national leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Nicolae Ciuca said on Wednesday in opening remarks to the Congress of the European People’s Party in Bucharest.

„For Romanians, one extremely important topic is the completion of our accession to the Schengen area. The security of European borders is very important, and it represents our security, the security of our children and of liberal democracies. Romania is a provider of security and predictability that ensures the safety of both NATO and EU borders, and, for this reason, it is entitled to fully join the Schengen area,” Ciuca said.

He added that Romania deserves respect and its citizens should not be made to wait long lines at the EU borders.

„We have fulfilled our obligations and people are having a legitimate interest to see these objectives becoming a reality. Thank you for including this issue in the official electoral manifesto that we are voting on later today,” the Liberal leader added.

According to Ciuca, the EPP enjoys great trust and popularity in Romania.

He spoke about solidarity with Ukraine and Moldova.

„From the first day, we stood by Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in their legitimate fight for freedom against the Russian aggression. We also help the Republic of Moldova in tackling the consequences of this brutal war. Last, but not least, our actions and measures translated in security and concrete economic and social benefits for our citizens. In this difficult moment, when we are confronted with a war on the European continent, the EPP has shown very pragmatic leadership. I want to thank President Ursula von der Leyen and President Roberta Metsola for their strong stance and commitment to support Ukraine and our partners from the Eastern Neighbourhood, such as the Republic Moldova,’ Ciuca added.

The PNL president also highlighted Romania’s support for Ukrainian refugees.

He pointed out that Moldova is a part of Europe and should become member of the EU soon.

According to Ciuca, Europe is the solution to common challenges and is the future, and the EPP will continue to defend and support the EU.

„In order to have a strong Europe, we need a strong economy, which means becoming trusted partners of the business environment. The EPP will have to face the new challenges of the Industrial Revolution 4.0. The next European Parliament must find solutions to support scientific research and make the EU more efficient and to improve the quality of life across all European regions. Research means growth, resilience and attractiveness, and the capacity to expand made in EU across the world markets. For all this, we have pragmatic leadership on our side. For all this we have to combine courage with vision. I’d like to thank Ursula von der Leyen for all her work throughout these years. The list of our common results is long and well-known,” Nicolae Ciuca added.

AGERPRES