France wants the integration of Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia with the Schengen Area and adopted this position after reflecting for a long time and after being convinced that the three countries can manage the external borders, French Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin told the Romanian media, upon arriving at the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council in Brussels, according to Agerpres.

France will vote, at the request of the President of the Republic, for the accession of Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia to the Schengen Area. They are friendly, sister countries that have made enormous efforts to be able to control the European borders, stated the French Minister of the Interior.

We must encourage these efforts and say that if we want to limit the Balkan migration route, we must be able to open the Schengen Area and manage the external borders well, as the Romanians, Bulgarians and Croatians are doing, he added.

Asked if there could be a decoupling of Romania’s and Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen, the French minister replied that France will vote for the three countries.

At the same time, he declined to comment on Austria’s refusal, voiced again by Interior Minister Gerhard Karner on Thursday morning, when he arrived at the JHA Council, to support the Schengen accession of Romania and Bulgaria.

I will not comment on the position of other countries, I respect it, of course. I told you the position of France, which is a thoughtful country with the Schengen Area. France wants the three countries to join the Schengen area and adopted this position after reflecting for a long time and after becoming convinced that the three countries can manage the external borders, Gerald Darmanin also said.

Agerpres