Since 2011, Romania has fulfilled all the technical conditions for joining the Schengen area and it is important for Romanians to benefit from the free movement of people, President Klaus Iohannis stressed on Friday, before attending the informal meeting of the European Council in Prague, according to Agerpres.

„Schengen is neither about resources nor about other things. It is about technical criteria that must be met, especially on border control, migration control and so on. We have been fulfilling all the technical conditions since 2011. This has been verified and verified again. In the meantime, we are effectively, so de facto, part of a series of Schengen-related programmes and procedures, and we are doing our job very well there. But, apart from that, it is clear that, if we are talking about unity and solidarity in Europe, it must also exist among us. And then, my opinion, ours, is that all the formats that bring us together must be completed. The Schengen format allows the free movement of people and I think this is important for Romanians as well, to consider themselves Europeans with full rights,” Iohannis said.

He declared himself convinced that Europe’s security and control over the movement of people coming from outside would be greatly improved if Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia were co-opted into the Schengen area.

„We fulfill the technical conditions, but now, these days, we have offered the possibility to a body of experts to come and check them once more, so that everyone can be assured that they are OK,” klaus Iohannis said.

President Iohannis announced that next week the Prime Minister of the Government of The Netherlands, Mark Rutte, will come to Romania, to visit the Dutch troops that are stationed in Cincu.”

Agerpres