Full membership in the Schengen Area strengthens Romania’s strategic position as a gateway between Eastern and Western Europe, President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday.

The head of state noted that, in this process, the country faced obstacles, but had been „technically ready for a long time” for full accession to the European free movement area.

Iohannis said that he had been „personally involved” in „countless discussions” on this matter.

„Today’s decision is a clear confirmation of a reality – Romania’s place is in the Schengen Area, based on our performance and commitment,” he pointed out.

Klaus Iohannis confessed that the decision made on Thursday in Brussels is one that has been „long awaited by all of us.”

„Accession to the Schengen Area is a natural and necessary step in strengthening Romania’s status as a full member of the European Union. The advantages of our membership in the common area of free movement are numerous and have a direct impact on citizens, the economy, and the international image of our country,” the head of state pointed out.

At the same time, Iohannis mentioned that the removal of internal border controls means faster and simpler travel for those who are crossing borders. The time spent at the borders will be significantly reduced, and logistical costs for companies will decrease, which will quickly increase the competitiveness of Romanian products and services in the European market.

At the same time, he appreciated that Romania’s attractiveness for foreign investors will considerably increase, as they will see a commercial advantage in the country’s enhanced connectivity.

„Full membership in the Schengen Area strengthens Romania’s strategic position as a gateway between Eastern and Western Europe. Accession to the Schengen Area has been an important strategic goal for our country. Over time, there have been a series of obstacles, despite the fact that Romania has long been technically prepared to meet the Schengen requirements. To overcome these difficulties and convince our European partners that we fully deserve to be part of Schengen, I personally got involved to ensure we obtain a positive result,” the head of state said.

He pointed out that Thursday’s decision is „a clear confirmation, without any interpretation, of a reality: Romania’s place is in the Schengen Area, based on our performance and commitment.”

In this new context, the president added, Romania will continue to act responsibly to protect and strengthen the EU’s external borders, including effectively managing illegal migration.

Klaus Iohannis also referred to recent anti-European speeches.

„Romania is and will remain a pro-European country. However, recently we have seen serious attempts to downplay the importance of the European Union. Moreover, voices have been raised contesting the benefits of our membership in the European space. Citizens have grievances and are entitled to demand more and better from the political class in our country, but those who blame the European Union for these grievances do not wish us well,” the president emphasised.

The head of state acknowledged that the European Union „can work better and, obviously, Romanian politicians need to be even more involved to secure as many benefits as possible from our European membership.”

„But whenever we think of a better life and more prosperity, we think of life in a Western country, and often we hear the slogan ‘we want a country like abroad.’ We want more freedoms, not more restrictions, we want more freedom of opinion, not less. Therefore, in fact, we want more Europe, not less, and those who instigate the denial of European benefits and values are opponents of democracy and freedom and seek to isolate our country,” he added.

Iohannis reiterated that Romania is a stable, solid, and safe country. „The European path remains our only real development path, and all democratic political forces have the obligation to work together to preserve this course unchanged,” he concluded.

EU member states have decided to remove checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania from 1 January 2025, the Council of the European Union announced in a press release on consilium.europa.eu website.

AGERPRES